


The witch and her spider

by LunaShakespeare19



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Caring Natasha Romanov, F/M, First Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Mentor & Protégé, Mentor Stephen Strange, Mentor Tony Stark, New favourite shipping, Parent Tony Stark, Peter and Wanda being teenagers, Stepehen Strange acts as Wanda's teacher, There needs to be more stories about this couple, Tony & Wanda friendship, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Start acting as Wanda Maximoff's parental figure, Tony cares about Wanda, Young Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2020-11-15 10:27:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20864708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaShakespeare19/pseuds/LunaShakespeare19
Summary: We all need someone to understand us. We might think we don't, but we really do. This can be hard to come by when you have powers that you can't explain, when people are afraid of you or they think you're just as bad as the guys you fight. Wanda and Peter are two of these people. Sometimes all you need to do is find the right person, then everything falls into place.





	1. Wanda and Peter meet

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: for the sake of this story I am going to disregard the evenst of Civile War. Tony and Peter will still meet like they did in the movie and since the airport fight didn't happen, Peter and Wanda will meet under different circumstances.

There was nothing, absolutely nothing good about being a teenager. Whenever adults talked about how much they wished they could go back, they obviously had no idea what they were talking about and clearly had some gaps in their memory. You’re under constant stress, your hormones are all over the place, you’re always having to think about your future, you're expected to act like an adult but no one takes you seriously and you’re in a constant state of ‘no one understands me’. Now this would be seen as dramatic to most people, but when you’re a teenager with telekinetic powers and were forced to stay inside for your own protections, the phrase ‘one on understands me’ can be pretty accurate. 

Wanda liked her room, she really did and she appreciated Tony letting her decorate. Growing up, she had always shared a room with her brother and she would always day dream about what it would be like to have her own space. This wasn’t how she imagined she would get it, but there you go. Wanda had a lot of time on her hands now. She read, she cooked, she watched some America TV and trained with the others. Her days were pretty routine and she liked it. Routine was predictable and predictable was calm, but there is always the calm before the storm and this storm came in the shape of Peter Parker. 

Wanda had seen the videos and heard all about him on the internet. Someone was flying all over Queens and using webs to take down bad guys. It didn’t seem real and for someone like Wanda who had just about seen everything, it really was hard to belief. The blogs she read described him as a flash of blue and red, zipping past their camera phones. He had become famous for his quick comebacks and stopping moving vehicles with his bare hands. People had mixed feeling towards him, some said he was god send, looking out for the little guy. Others said that his powers made him dangerous and that he needed to be stopped. Wanda was with the former, he was helping people, who cared how he did it? People were always afraid of what they didn’t understand.

Wanda and Peter met one afternoon when Tony was showing him some new tech he had made. She was sitting in the kitchen trying to decide what to cook that evening when they came in. He was cute, very cute in fact, she might have even said he was handsome, but cute seemed to suit him better. He was holding something, probably the new tech, and talking really fast with exaggerated hand gestures while Tony listened. The two were so caught up in their discussion that they didn’t notice Wanda at first. Then Peter turned and saw her. He stopped mid sentence and his mouth fell open. Wanda blushed under his gaze and looked back at her cook book. Tony, who noticed the exchange between the two teenagers smiled and gently pushed Peter in Wanda’s direction. 

“Underoo, this is Wanda, one of my favourite tenants. Wanda, this is Underoo a.k.a Spiderman. I have to do... something in the lab and you two should be close in age, so have at it.” Tony patter Peter on the shoulder and headed out. “Don’t do anything I would do or anything I wouldn’t do.” He called from the hall. Peter and Wanda blushed at Tony’s words and smiled nervously at each other. 

“There’s a little grey area.” Peter explained. 

“I see.” She shook her head, she was too used to Tony by now. 

“Um...I’m Peter, Peter Parker.” He put his hand out for her to shake and she happily took it. 

“Wanda Maximoff. So you’re the Spiderman I’ve heard so much about.”

“That’s me.” He said sheepishly. “Did you see the videos?” That seemed to be how most people outside of Queens heard about him. 

“Yeah and I’ve read some blogs about you. I want you to know that I think what you're doing is good.” She said with a small smile. This made Peter’s smile grow. 

“Thanks, not everyone seems to agree with you.” He said thinking about the reporters and police who thought what he was doing was wrong and that he was no better than the criminals he took down. He thought the last part was a bit of an exaggeration. A sad smile crept onto her face, she looked at her hand and let the red energy dance between her fingers. She glanced at Peter, his expression was familiar, it was the same look that Tony had when he was solving an equation or when he was trying to get the pieces of one of his new toys to fit together; fascination... intrigue... wonder. The scientists who gave her powers would look at her in a similar way, as they filled out their results, but this was different. It was softer, warmer. 

“How did you get them?” She asked. 

“Spider bite, there was a school trip to the labs at Oscorp.” He explained. 

“I volunteered.” She explained. “My brother and I.” She waited, expecting him to ask questions. She expected that look of wonder to shift into something else, but it didn’t. He continued to look at her with fascination. 

“What are you making?” He asked, perhaps noticing her discomfort. 

“I haven’t decided yet.” She said, pushing the book towards him. “You cook?”

“Not really, My Aunt May is a really good cook, she burns it some times but apart from that.” They looked through the book together, talking about what kind of food they liked and what recipes Wanda had tried. She told him how much she loved all the American candy and how much she loved having such a big kitchen to practice in. She wasn’t sure how it happend, but somehow Peter ended up helping her cook (they decided on a stir-fry). Somehow chopping the vegetables had turned into a food fight, their giggles filling the kitchen as they dodged peppers and onions. They had just started eating when Tony came back in carrying some blueprints. 

“Looks like you two are getting along.” He observed, stealing a noddle from Peter’s bowl. 

“He’s alright.” Wanda shrugged. Peter turned to her with a look of mock offense. 

“So nice to hear.” He sat next to Peter and moved some things around to make room for the blueprints. Wanda sat and ate her food while the two of them talked shop. She couldn’t understand half of it, but she found their excited expressions and gestures entertaining. In between explaining his ideas, Peter would take a bite of food, forgetting to swallow and spitting it across the table. Wanda should have found this unattractive, but she didn’t. Perhaps he was too cute for his own good. When their bowls were empty, Wanda got up to start cleaning, but Peter beat her to it. He kept talking with Tony while he cleaned up. 

“What are you two talking about anyway?” She asked.

“Some upgrades for my web-shooters.” Peter replied. He then went on to explain how he developed the formula for the webs. 

“Boss, Mrs. Parker has been calling, it would seem that she had been trying to call Peter for a while now.” F.R.I.D.A.Y said. Peter cursed and looked at his watch to see that it was later then he realized. 

“I’ll call a driver to take you home.” Tony said. 

“It was nice to meet you.” Wanda said with a smile. Peter looked up and smiled back at her. Tony noticed the exchange between the two teenagers and smirked. A plan forming. 

“You know what.” He said, snapping the two of them out of their trance. “I’ll drive you, I have to meet someone in Queens anyway.” Without waiting for a response, Tony dragged Peter out of the kitchen by the collar of his shirt, ignoring Peter’s cries of protest and Wanda’s giggles. 

“So.” Tony began as he drove Peter home. “You like Wanda?”

“She’s pretty cool.” He said, a boyish grin growing on his face. “I don’t see why people are scared of her.”

“It’s not her, it’s what she can do.” Tony explained sadly. He had gotten to know Wanda in the time she had been living with him and he found her to be a very pleasant girl who didn’t deserve what she got. She was smart, creative and her cooking wasn’t too bad either. He liked having her around and didn’t want anything else to happen to her. 

“It looks like you two get along pretty well. Maybe you should come around more to hang out with her.” He suggested. Peter looked at him in surprise. 

“You’d let me come over more?”

“Wanda can’t go out too much because of her powers and what the public thinks of her. She could use a friend.” He said as he pulled up in front of Peter’s building. “Don’t tell her I said you should come over, act like it was your idea, okay?”

“I can do that.” Peter assured him, as he climbed out of the car. He turned to talk to Tony through the window. “To be honest I was hoping you’d let me anyway.” Tony smiled at him, glad to see they were on the same page. 

“Good, I’ve already put her number in your phone, not many people have it so don’t abuse it.” 

“I won’t.” Peter promised him. Tony nodded and gave him a two-finger salute before driving off. Peter watched the car turn the corner and couldn’t help the big grin appear on his face. He pulled out his phone and sure enough, there was a new number.


	2. Maybe I like him

Wanda was laughing at Peter’s most recent text when Tony knocked on her door. She quickly typed a reply to Peter and put her phone down to focus on Tony. She sat crossed legged and looked at him with a big smile. Tony had noticed that while they texted, she was always smiling. Peter was the same whenever he got a text from her. Tony came to sit next to her and gestured at her phone.

“That Peter?” He asked.

“Who else would it be?” Wanda asked jokingly like Tony told Peter not many people had her phone number, there wasn’t exactly a lot of people it could be. Tony nodded, realizing that was a stupid question.

“He talks about you a lot you know.” Tony told her, smiling at the blush growing on her cheeks.

“I didn’t know that.” She smiled.

“It’s pretty annoying if I’m honest.”

“He reminds me of my brother.” She said.

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s what Peter would want to hear.” Tony raised an eyebrow at her, wondering if he had read the situation wrong.

“Not like that.” She explained. “I mean he makes me laugh, Pietro could always do that.” Wanda’s smiles faltered for a moment as she thought about her brother. Pietro’s sense of humor was sarcastic and sometimes dry, but when you lost your parents at such a young age and spent a lot of time as lab rats, any type of comedy was better than nothing. Peter’s sense of humor was more… childish, he reminded her of a puppy with his big eyes and science pun shirts. Pietro would probably call Peter a pansy to his face, but she was sure he would have liked him really. Wanda had told Peter a little about her brother just like he had told her about his uncle, it seemed like he was pretty great.

“Well it’s nice to see you happy. I know your situation’s not exactly ideal...” Tony trailed off.

“I don’t think any of our situations are ideal Tony.” She took his hand in hers and squeezed it tight. “But being here with you guys makes it all better.”

Tony smiled at her. The tower was never really empty, what with the team and S.H.E.I.L.D agents coming and going, but wasn’t it said you could feel lonely in a crowded room? When Tony’s insomnia was at its worst and he ventured into the kitchen for coffee or food, two out of three times, Wanda would be sitting there, just as awake as he would be. Wanda suffered from nightmares, some from the time she and her brother were on the streets, some from her time in the Hydra labs, or just random visions of horror that everyone got. Whatever they were, they would leave her in a cold sweat and in need of some comfort food. They had crossed paths so many times that they had fallen into a routine of sorts; if Wanda woke first she would have a pot of coffee going and a plate of cookies ready. If Tony woke first, he would make a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows and a mountain of whipped cream. Some of their talks were your typical talks and others fell into the ‘deep’ category. A couple of cookies here, a cup of coffee there and you have yourself a friendship.

“How about we have a movie night? We’ll order some take out and we’ll watch one of those chick flicks you love so much.” Tony suggested, making Wanda’s face light up.

“That sounds great, thanks Tony.”  
“Anything for you.” Tony said honestly. Wanda gave him a tight hug. That was another thing that they were helping each other with; showing affection to others. Tony had no trouble with Pepper (most of the time) and Wanda was alright with her brother, but he was gone. They were helping each other connect with the world, become more human (whatever that meant).

Later that evening while they waited for the take out, Wanda was trying to choose a movie for them to watch. It was difficult to find a movie that the two of them enjoyed. Sci-fi didn’t do it for either of them, seeing the real thing kind of ruined it for you. They saw enough action in their everyday lives that they were kind of sick of seeing it on the screen. Horror was alright, but she wasn’t in the mood for that. That was why Wanda liked chick flicks so much; the biggest problem those girls faced was getting a date or winning some competition. It was always a happy ending where the girls accepted themselves. Maybe that was why she liked them so much; she was hoping to learn something. In the end, she settled on a Western.

They settled into the sofa and ate their take out (Chinese). Every once in awhile, one of them would comment on something in the scene; ‘I’d look good in a cowboy hat’ or ‘Have you ever noticed you only see the skull? Where’s the rest of the body?’. They were halfway through the movie when Wanda’s phone went off. She glanced at it and smiled; it was from Peter. She typed a reply and looked back at the movie.

“What’s he saying?” Tony asked, with a mouth full of noddle.

“It was a Star Wars meme.” She explained, passing the phone to Tony so he could see. Peter had sent Tony countless memes related to all kinds of fandoms, he stopped trying to understand them long ago.

“As long as he sends them to you and not me.”

“I bet you love them really.”

“Love is a strong word.” The smile on his face told her that he didn’t really mean it. They sat in comfortable silence while they finished their food.

“Does he ever mention a girl or anything?” She tried to ask casually but failed miserably.

“No and I think he likes you back.” Tony said, without taking his eyes off the screen. 

“I never said I liked him.” She argued. 

“Then why ask about it?”

“Okay, maybe I like him.” 

“Well you don’t see many people, so I guess your standards are pretty low.” Tony joked. Wanda grabbed a pillow and started hitting him with it. Tony grabbed a pillow and started hitting her back. This led to a pillow fight which ended with giggles. 

“How do I know he doesn’t like someone else, someone in his class?” 

“He’s never said anything to me, and that kid talks about everything.” Tony said. “He’s coming over again this weekend to work on the suit, maybe I can try and get something out of him.” This caused Wanda’s eyes to go wide and she shot up like the couch was on fire.

“No don’t do that.” She exclaimed. 

“Why?” 

“Because I don’t want him to know in case he does like someone, then things will be weird.” She explained. “Promise you won’t say anything to him.”

“Okay, I won’t.” Tony assured her. Wanda visibly calmed and sat back down. While they finished the movie and Wanda chose another one, Tony sent a quick text to Happy. 

‘When you pick the kid up this weekend, ask if he likes someone.’ It read. Happy quickly replied. 

‘Why?’

‘Just do it and be subtle.’ 

‘Fine.’


	3. Like a date?

It was Saturday morning and Peter was waiting outside for Happy. He was eager to get into Tony’s lab and work on the suit. He was also eager to see Wanda again. The two of them had been texting since they had first met and talked on the phone. Peter always smiled whenever he thought of Wanda. Her smile was adorable, he found her accent very attractive (as accents often were) and she had an awesome sense of humor. 

He had Ned, and he was grateful for him, but there was only so much he could really understand. All Ned knew about powers was from movies and comic books, he didn’t know what it meant to live with them. Wanda did understand what it meant, to be in awe but still afraid of what you could do. To feel good about the responsibility you had, but still, crumble from the pressure. She understood what it all felt like, she understood him. When the car arrived, Peter jumped into the front seat. Happy nodded to him and then Peter started telling him about the week. He talked about school, his friends, and gave him updates on his patrols. Happy nodded along, not really listing to him, then he remembered what Tony had asked him to do. 

“So, any girlfriends?” He asked. 

“What um… not really.” Peter said, confused by the question. 

“What about that girl? What was her name?” Happy tried. 

“Liz? Yeah, we still talk but she moved after everything with her dad.” Peter replied. “Why do you ask?” 

“Just asking.” Happy said, unconvincingly. 

The rest of the ride was filled with Peter talking and Happy listening (or pretending to listen) to him. By the time they reached the tower, Peter ran out of the car and Happy breathed a sigh of relief. Tony and Wanda were waiting at the entrance for him. Seeing the two of them, especially Wanda, brought a smile to his face. The three of them headed upstairs, with Wanda and Peter doing most of the talking. As the rode the elevator to the floor when the lab was, Tony listened to the two of them. They seemed to be continuing a conversation that they were having through text, some pop culture references were being tossed around. As they talked, Tony got a text from Happy. 

‘There’s no girl, why ask anyway?’

‘No reason. Thanks.’ 

When they finally reached the floor they wanted, Tony and Peter headed to the lab, whereas Wanda went to her room to study, she had started taking some online classes after Tony suggested it. They didn’t meet up again until the afternoon when Wanda came to remind them that they needed to have lunch and brought them some sandwiches. 

“How’s the work going?” She asked. 

“Pretty good.” Tony said with a mouth full of food. 

“Close your mouth, be a good example.” She gently scolded. 

“If you think I’m a good example, you’re both in trouble.” 

“You’re not that bad.” Peter said. 

“You’re a fanboy.” Wanda pointed out. “You don’t count.” 

Peter blushed and smiled at her, which caused Wanda to blush. Tony found the whole exchange to be adorable. Now that he knew that Peter didn’t like a girl at school, he had to work out how to get these two crazy kids together.

Later that evening, after Peter had been taken home, Tony called Pepper who was in London for a conference. When she answered the video call, Tony smiled at how beautiful she looked. It was early in the morning over there, but she was starting to pick up his insomniac habits and stay up late to work. Her hair was tied into a messy bun and she was wearing an old shirt (which he believed was one of his). God, he missed her. 

“Hey Sweetie.” He said. 

“Hey, you okay?” She asked, moving her files out of the way and giving him her full attention.

“As good as I can be when you’re not here.” He said. “Had the kid over earlier to work on the suit, he’s good.” 

“Sounds like fun, how’s Wanda?” 

“She’s good, she and the kid are getting along really well.” He replied, trying to sound indifferent but she knew him too well. 

“What are you planning?” She asked.

“What me? I’m not up to anything.” He said in mock surprise. She cocked an eyebrow and he caved. “Okay fine, Wanda told me she likes him, and I know he likes her back, so I just need to get them to admit it to each other.” 

“Tony no.” Pepper cried. “You can’t meddle in their lives like that.” 

“It’s not meddling, I’m helping them.” He argued but she wasn’t convinced. 

“They’re teenagers Tony. You’ll embarrass them.” 

“Haven’t I caused Wanda enough trouble? Can’t I help her with this?” Pepper signed at his words. Tony felt guilty after finding out the missile that killed her parents was one of his, Pepper had tried to convince him otherwise, but he was already, so guilt-ridden about the past that it didn’t seem to matter. 

“Tony, you couldn’t control what happened. Wanda even knows that.” 

“They’re good kids, they could be good for each other.” 

“Then you should leave them alone and sort it out themselves.” She reasoned. “Besides, are you really the best person to give relationship advice?”

“Hey, I got you, didn’t I?” 

“True but that was after a whole mess of bad relationships.”

“Point is I figured it out eventually.”

“I love that you care about them. But maybe this is something you should leave to them.” Tony signed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. 

He knew she was right, Pepper was always right. Perhaps he wasn’t the best person to advise the two of them on matters of the heart. But he wasn’t kidding when he said they would be good together; they were both teenagers with powers that they didn’t really ask for (despite what Wanda may say), people who didn’t know them were scared of them (people were idiots) and worst of all they were both stuck with him as a mentor (poor kids). Those two had a hard enough time as it was, if he could make things just a little easier for them that would be alright with him. The problem was finding a way to help them in a way that wouldn’t make things difficult for the two of them. 

Meanwhile, in the Parker residence, Peter and May were making dinner. While they cooked, Peter thought about his day, more specifically he thought about Wanda. After lunch, she hung around in the lab with them. He wanted to say she wasn’t a distraction, but she really was. She asked questions and told them about her online classes, which sounded really cool. The evening came too soon, and he had to go back home. 

“Everything okay? You seem pretty out of it.” May asked. Peter turned to his aunt. 

“Can ask you something?” 

“Of course, what’s on your mind?” 

“There’s a girl.” He began, May’s eyes went wide.

“What girl? Is she in your class?” She asked.

“She’s not from school, she lives in the tower with Tony. Her name’s Wanda.” He explained. “Everyone calls her the Scarlett Witch.” 

“Isn’t she like…evil?” May asked, whispering the last part. Peter looked at her in disbelief. 

“What? No, she’s not, she’s great, people just see her a certain way. That’s why she lives in the tower, so she’s safe.” Peter explained. 

“Okay, well tell me about her.” The two sat down at the table and Peter told her all about Wanda. 

She sat and listened to him talk about how great she was and how funny she was. He told her about how much they texted and how easy she was to talk to. As he talked, May smiled at her nephew. Since finding out he was Spider-Man and learning what the Stark internship was really about, she could have sworn she had aged at least a decade. But hearing him talk about Wanda like this, maybe they were all wrong about her. 

“She sounds pretty great.” May said when he paused to take a breather. “Are you going to ask her out?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” He said. “But I don’t know what I’d say.”

“Maybe take her to see a movie?” May suggested. “You don’t even have to say date, maybe just hang out at first and see how it goes.” 

Peter nodded his head and started thinking about what they should go see. Later in the evening, Peter lay in bed, fiddling with his phone. Should he call her, or should he wait until he sees her again? But if he left it then he might lose his nerve. Before he knew it, he was pashing the room and he was calling her. 

“Hello.” 

“Hey, Wanda.” 

“Hey Peter, what’s up?” 

“I was wondering what you were doing next weekend?” 

“Oh, you know; studying, T.V, normal stuff I guess.” 

“Well I was wondering if you would like to go to a movie with me?” As soon as he said it, part of him wanted to take it back. This was it, this was the end of their friendship. 

“Like a date?” She asked. Peter wondered if he imagined the hopeful tone in her voice.

“We wouldn’t have to call it that, if you didn’t want to.” Peter rushed. 

“I’d like to call it one if you’d like.” 

“That works for me.” Peter couldn’t control his smile. “I’ll pick you up at seven?” 

“Sounds good, I’ll see you then Peter.” 

“See you then. Goodnight Wanda.” 

“Goodnight Peter.” 

When he hung up, Peter fist-bumped the air and cheered. May came into the room, worried about the noise, and was tackled by Peter who told her what happened. She then starting cheering with him and the two of them began to make plans. Across the city, in the tower, Wanda was doing the same. She was jumping up on her bed, hugging her pillow and squealing like a banshee when Tony came in, looking ready to shoot something.

“What the hell?” He asked, after seeing she was fine. 

“Peter just called.” She explained. “He asked me out next weekend.” 

“Really? That’s great.” Tony smiled and she jumped into his arms, hugging him tight. 

“I have to talk to Nat, she’ll help me figure out what to wear.” Wanda suddenly pulled away and ran down the hall to Natalie’s room. 

“Guess you were right Pepper.” Tony said to himself.


	4. The date

There are many questions in this world which, unfortunately, have no right answer. What you should wear on your first date, is one of them. 

“Show a little skin.”

“Dress casual.” 

“You have to make it look like you didn’t put too much effort in.” 

“You should keep it modest.” 

“Guys not helping.” Wanda groaned. She tossed the top she was holding on the bed, with the rest of her closet.  
Pepper, Nat, Tony, and Steve were all in her room, helping her pick an outfit. At first, Nat’s advice had been the best but then the others started chiming in and she was getting flustered. 

“Okay guys.” Nat got up and stood behind Wanda, turning her to face the others. “This wonderful young lady is going for a night on the town and she needs to look the part.” She handed her a dress and pushed her in the direction of the bathroom. 

“It’s a different time, Rodgers.” She argued when Wanda shut the door. “She can show off a little.” 

“They’re kids.” Tony pointed out. 

“All the more reason they need this, especially Wanda.” Wanda came out wearing a red dress that reached just below her knees with straps. Nat and Pepper started gushing over her, while the guys stayed quiet. 

“Perfect, we’ll add some black boots, some gold jewelry, I have a jacket you can borrow.” Nat said. 

“We can do her hair half up half down.” Pepper said, playing with Wanda’s hair in the mirror. 

“Some light makeup, give her wing eyeliner.” Nat added. 

“What do you guys think?” Pepper asked.

“Sounds great.” Steve said honestly.

“I should have a team watching them.” Tony mused causing the girls to groan. 

“Tony they both have powers, they could probably protect themselves better then anyone you hire could.” Pepper pointed out. 

“I’m just trying to be safe.” He argued. 

“Tony be positive or leave.” Nat said. He stayed quiet after that. 

Meanwhile, over in Queens Peter was calmly freaking out (was that a thing?). Everything was either too stupid-looking or smelt weird. May kept assuring him that everything he tried was perfectly fine, but he didn’t seem to be listening. He had Ned on video chat who kept trying to get him to wear a hat. 

“He’s not wearing a hat.” May said. 

“It would tie the whole thing together.” He argued. 

“He’s not wearing a hat and that’s final.” May said. 

“She might like hats.” He argued.

“Should I do the arm thing?” Peter asked. He continued when he saw their confused faces. “You know the thing where I yawn and put my arm around her?” 

“Oh that, only if the mood feels right, don’t force it.” May said. “And tell her she looks pretty.”

“Even if she doesn’t.” 

“Ned.” May scolded. “Ignore him.” 

“Oh man, what do I do? What do I say?” He started to panic. 

“Calm down, Sweetie, you’ll be fine.” May assured him. “When do you pick her up?” 

“A couple of hours.” Peter said, looking at his watch. 

“Okay we have time.”

Later that evening, after hours of advice (good and bad), Wanda was waiting in the lobby for Peter. She was a little early and kept checking her phone. She wore the red dress Nat had insisted on with her hair ion a half up half down look (thank you Pepper), smoky eye makeup, and a simple gold necklace with a ‘W’ (a gift from Tony). Completing the look, was a pair of black lace-up boots and Nat’s jacket. She stood in place and looked around, when she noticed one of the security cameras, she gave it a little wave, knowing Tony he would be keeping an eye out. Finally, Wanda saw a car pull up in front of the building and Peter came out. He stopped for a second to talk to the driver (probably May) and then turned towards the building. He was wearing dark jeans and a checkered shirt. The two meet each other halfway and stood awkwardly for a moment. 

“Hey.” They both said at the same time, which made the two of them laugh. 

“You look really pretty, I mean really pretty.” Peter said. 

“Thanks, you to… I mean not pretty but you still look good… you look very handsome.” She stuttered. 

“Thanks.” Peter blushed. “Are you ready?” 

“Yes.” The two made their way out of the building and headed for the movie theatre. 

Meanwhile, Tony, Nat, Pepper, and Steve were watching the two on the security cameras. They laughed at the clear awkwardness between the two and then cheered when they left together. Nat went to go find a bottle of something to celebrate while Tony slumped into his chair. 

“Hey, what’s up?” Steve asked.

“I just want this to work out. I want them to be happy” Tony explained. 

“Aww, Tony.” Pepper put an arm around him. “That’s normal for a parent.” 

“I’m not a parent.” He argued. 

“You’re kind of like one.” Steve reasoned. “I mean you look out for them.”  
Before Tony could respond, Nat came in with a bottle and some glasses. She started pouring and passed the glasses. 

“A toast.” She raised her glass and the others followed. “To the new couple, may we soon be disgusted by their cuteness.” A chorus of ‘cheers’ filled the room and they drank. 

While the adults celebrated, Peter and Wanda talked. They were both relieved to find that it wasn’t awkward. As they started talking like they usually did. Wanda was telling Peter about a training session with the others, it ended with Clint being caught in Nat’s chock hold. She waved her arms around, miming Clint’s failed attempts to get free. Soon, she was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe and they had to stop for a second. While she caught her breath, Peter took a second to take her in. She really was beautiful and funny and smart and just an all-round awesome person who he still couldn’t believe was actually on a date with him. 

“You okay?” She asked once she had her breath back. 

“Yeah.”

When they arrived at the movie theatre and bought the pop-corn (sweet for Peter and salted for Wanda), they choose a slasher. While the masked killer stabbed another helpless teenager, Peter stretched his arm and rested it on the back of Wanda’s seat. Wanda noticed this and moved a few inches closer to him. When the last horny teen was sliced up and the credits started rolling, they headed out. 

“It was so obvious it was him, I mean every time she got a text, there he was.” Peter ranted as they headed to the restaurant 

“I know, and she was so full of herself, acting like every little thing was about her. I mean yeah there’s a crazy killer, but the world doesn’t stop.” Wanda agreed. 

“The ‘Scream’ series on Netflix is so much better. We should watch that some time.” Peter suggested as he opened the door for her. 

The waitress showed them to their table and gave them some menus. They were also told that their meal had already been paid for by Tony. When the waitress left them to get their drinks, the two stared at each other with open mouths. 

“How the hell did he know we were coming here?” Peter asked. 

“It’s Tony.” She shrugged. “I would be more surprised if he didn’t know.” 

Since no matter what they ordered, they wouldn’t even make a dent in Tony’s fortune, Wanda and Peter decided to gorge themselves. While they ate, they talked about school and showed each other some memes on their phones. By the time they were finished, both of them felt they would never want to eat anything again. Since it wasn’t too late, they decided to go for a walk. 

“I should get out more.” Wanda said. 

“How come you don’t?” Peter asked. 

“Well, there are people who know I have powers and that scares them so maybe it would be safer if I don’t. But today has made me realize that might not be the case.” She explained. Peter nodded his head in understanding, the whole time they had been out, some people had been looking at them and it seemed one or two might have snapped a picture. But no one seemed to be bothered at all, maybe not as many people were afraid as she thought. 

“Most people at my school think you’re pretty cool.” He assured her.

“What do they think about Spider-Man?” 

“They seem to think he’s pretty cool too, me not so much.”

“Well I think you’re cool.” Wanda took his hand and started swinging their arms as they walked. “Do you ever wish they knew it was you?”

“Sometimes, it would make things easier.” 

“I sometimes wish I wore a mask.” She said. 

“Must be easier having no secret through.” 

“I don’t have much of a life either.” 

“See I never got that; I mean what does it mean to not have a life? If you’re doing stuff you like then you have a life, it’s just different to everyone else.” Peter said. Wanda looked at him for a second and smiled. Peter Parker was a complete enigma. In the span of just a few weeks, he had turned her life upside down and he didn’t seem to know it. 

“I really like having you in my life.” She said. 

“I like having you in mine.” Peter smiled at her. “I really like you, Wanda.”

“I really like you to, Peter.” 

“Can I kiss you?” He asked. 

“Yes.” They leaned in and when their lips met, it was like fireworks. Soon they had their arms wrapped around each other tight. 

Wanda had been kissed before when she was ten. There was a boy who lived next door and was friends with her brother. One day when they were playing, he kissed her when the others had run ahead of them. She knew what kissing was, she had seen her parents do it, but they always seemed to be smiling when it was done, and she didn’t feel like smiling then. After that, there was never really any time for kissing. This time though, she felt like she would be smiling. They stood like that for some time. Until someone’s wolf whistle caused them to stop. When they pulled apart, they were giggling and still holding each other. Peter took her hand and the couple headed down the street laughing. Any thoughts of powers and responsibilities faded away into the night. 

Back at the tower, Tony was playing around in his lab, not really doing anything productive, just wanting to distract himself from thinking about how Wanda and Peter’s date was going. He hoped they weren’t too annoyed with him for finding where they were going to eat and paying for them. To be fair they should expect that kind of thing from him, at least that’s what he told Pepper when she found out. 

“Hey Boss, Wanda and Peter are back.” F.R.I.D.A.Y announced. Tony dropped what he was doing and scrabbled to the monitor, displaying the feed from the security cameras. 

Just as F.R.I.D.A.Y had said, Wanda and Peter happily strolled into the lobby holding hands. The two were happily talking and seemed very at ease with each other, no signs of any awkwardness you might expect from a first date, which relived Tony. They seemed to be saying their goodbye when Peter pulled Wanda to him and kissed her with confidence that Tony, no offense to the kid, didn’t know he had when it came to girls. When they pulled apart, Wanda walked backward still holding Peter’s hand until she was too far. When she was out of frame, Peter stood watching for a second until she must have got into the elevator. After that, he triumphantly punched the air before pulling out his phone and heading outside. 

“Hey F.R.I.D.A.Y, tell Wanda to come to see me when she comes up.” Tony said. 

“Sure thing Boss.” The A.I replied. A few minutes later, Wanda strolled into the lab with a dreamy smile on her face and took a seat. 

“Thanks for dinner.” She said. 

“Your welcome, how did it go?” He asked. 

“Don’t pretend you weren’t watching.” She scolded. 

“Yeah but I only saw the first and last few minutes, I didn’t see the middle part.” He defended himself. “And I wasn’t the only one watching at the start.” 

“Well the movie was so bad it was almost laughable.” She began. “And dinner was awesome, I’ll probably never eat again.” 

“And the kiss.” Tony pushed. “Was that the first or…” 

“No, we kissed earlier.” Wanda blushed at the memory. “He’s so great Tony, we’re going out again next week.” 

“So, is he your boyfriend now?” 

“I don’t know, I mean isn’t there a certain number of dates before you can call a guy that?” She wondered. 

“To be honest I never paid attention to that stuff.” 

“No offense but you’re not the best example for relationships.” 

“Hey, you only have to get it right once and I would say I’ve done that.” Tony argued. 

“Yeah you did.” Wanda smiled. “I’m really happy.” 

“Good. It’s pretty late why don’t you head to bed.” Tony suggested. She nodded, suddenly feeling pretty tired as she came down from her high. 

Wanda lay in her bed staring at the ceiling, looking for shapes in the paint. She raised her hand and let the red energy dance between her fingers. Peter told her that when his classmates talked about what kind of powers they would want, hers were pretty popular. She almost laughed, would they say that if they knew what it took for her to get them? She had to admit, she was starting to see her powers as something else now, something that could be beautiful. That night, she didn’t have any nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can definitely recommend 'Scream' from Netflix, its very good.


	5. Wanda comes to school

Since becoming Spider-Man, Peter found himself staring at the clock more and more. He was desperate to get out into the streets of New York and go out on patrol. It wasn’t that he didn’t like his classes, it’s just that he felt he had more important things to think about now. However, today he was staring at the clock for a whole new reason; he wanted to see Wanda. It had been two months since their first date and since he asked her to be his girlfriend on their second date. Well asked may not be the right word, more like he stuttered through his question and Wanda figured out what he meant. That day was a Friday and that night, he, Wanda, and Ned were going to have a movie night. It would be the first time the three of them had hung out and Peter couldn’t wait. When the bell finally rang, Peter collected his things in record time and made his way outside. 

“What snacks does Wanda like?” Ned asked when the two met up and did their signature handshake. 

“Anything chocolate.” He replied. “She also loves sour candies.” Before Ned could respond, he was interrupted by giggles and squeals. At the front of the school was a group of students who were taking selfies and passing their phones around. 

“Is there a celebrity or something?” Ned asked. Peter tried to listen in and when he heard a familiar accent, he smiled widely. 

“Way better than a celebrity.” Peter said, making his way to the group without another word. 

“So, are you here on like official Avenger business?” One girl asked excitedly. 

“No, I’m here to see my boyfriend.” Wanda smiled, as she looked around for Peter but there were too many people in the way. 

“Is he an Avenger?” A freshman asked. 

“No, he’s part of the Stark Internship.” She explained it was then that she caught sight of Peter. She politely excused herself from the group and jumped into his arms. Peter spun her around with ease before kissing her firmly, ignoring the whistles and catcalls from his classmates. 

“What you doing here?” He asked. 

“Well, I wanted to surprise you and see what your school was like.” She explained. She turned to Ned and smiled brightly. “You must be Ned.” 

“Yeah, it’s great to finally meet you.” The two shook hands and before anyone could say anything, Flash came up to them, smiling like they were all old friends. 

“Pete, Buddy how’s it going?” He said cheerfully, but none of them returned his smiles. 

“What do you want Flash?” Peter asked. 

“Just wanted to meet your lovely girlfriend, I’m sure Peter has told you all about me.”

“Yeah, lots. ” Wanda then put on a smile that could chill the blood of the toughest Avenger. “All the insults, the bullying, and years of harassment. It’s something every protective genetically altered girlfriend wants to hear.” With that same chillingly smile on her face, Wanda twirled her fingers and watched as Flash's face went pale at the sight of her powers. He nearly tripped over his own feet trying to look casual while also looking terrified. When he was out of earshot, the trio laughed, and Peter kissed Wanda’s cheek. 

“You’re so hot.” He whispered, which made her laugh even harder and caused Ned to feel awkward. 

“And that is my cue to leave, I’ll see your guys later.” He waved before heading home. 

May was at work, so Wanda and Peter had the apartment to themselves. After getting some snacks and drinks, the two retreated to Peter’s room. Wanda made herself comfortable on the bed, flicking through one of Peter’s textbooks without really taking anything in. Peter sat at his desk, concentrating on his homework so he could enjoy his weekend. Normally, Peter prided himself on his ability to focus, but there was really only so much you could do when your girlfriend was on your bed, signing dramatically. 

“What do you want?” Peter asked, with mock annoyance. 

“I don’t want anything, what makes you think that?” She asked innocently. 

“You’re doing a lot of signing over there.” 

“Maybe I do want something.” 

“Something or… someone.” Peter took a few steps towards her and Wanda sat up straight, a sweet smile on her face. 

“Well now that you mention it.” She giggled as Peter started to pepper her neck with small kisses. “Ned is pretty cute.”

“Not funny.” Peter said before kissing her firmly, pushing her back on to the bed. The young couple continued to kiss until they were interrupted by Peter’s phone. Wanda told him to ignore it in-between kisses and Peter listened until the phone started to ring again. Peter groaned in frustration as he answered the phone without looking at the screen.

“What?” He answered, not bothering to hide his annoyance. 

“Hey kid.” The voice on the other end said. 

“Mr. Stark.” Peter sat up straight. “What’s up?”

“Just checking in, I assume Wanda met you at school.” Peter could hear him smirking. 

“Hey Tony.” Wanda called out and Peter put the phone on speaker. 

“Hey Sweetheart, he’s not boring you, is he?”

“No, I find him pretty interesting.” Wanda assured him. The older man laughed while Peter blushed. The three talked for a little longer about their plan for a movie night and then hung up. Peter gave her one last kiss before getting back to work.

Later that evening when all his work was done, Wanda was laying out the snacks while they waited for Ned to arrive. Ned came in without knocking, as he usually did, and the boys did their signature handshake. The three of them then settled down on the couch and started the movie. While another zombie got its head cut off, Ned and Wanda laughed at the cheesy dialogue

“You have to fight it.” Ned mocked the actor in a low voice. 

“I can’t.” Wanda mock- choked, as she fell back dramatically like the infected character. Peter watched the two of them fondly, he loved seeing two of his favorite people get along so well. When he and Wanda first got together, he was worried they may not get along, but it seemed he didn’t have to worry about that as much. 

Movies were watched, snakes were eaten (and playfully tossed at each other), laughs were had and the three of them fell asleep. When May came home after a long day at work, she glanced at the couch and did a double-take. Peter and Wanda were holding hands and her head was on his shoulder. Ned’s head had fallen back, and he was snoring loudly. It was an adorable sight. She pulled out her phone and took a quick picture and sent it to Tony. Tony quickly replied with a laughing face emoji and texted if she wanted him to send a car for Ned and Wanda. She typed back no, saying she was happy for them to stay and sleep and then sent a text to Ned’s Mom telling her the same thing. She spread a blanket over them and headed to bed.


	6. The Doctor is in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, how we doing? So glad to see so many people like this story and I am happy to keep writing it if you want me to. I'm recovering from a stomach bug and nothing works better then kudos and comments so lets speed up my recovery. Thank you and stay safe.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. 

In, out, in, out. 

“How do I know if it’s working?” Wanda asked from her spot on the floor. The former neuron surgeon signed. 

“You’ll know and asking me every ten minutes will not help.” He replied from his spot next to her. If his eyes weren’t closed, he would probably be rolling them 

Wanda had expressed her fear of losing control of her powers to Tony a few days ago and he got in contact with Stephen Strange. His thinking was that he would be able to teach her some meditation or mystic voodoo that she could use. Despite Tony’s rather… interesting choice of words, Stephen agreed. He met up with Wanda the next day and asked her to explain what it was that worried her. She told him about how she got her powers and how, despite improving, she was still afraid of what she could do. Stephen nodded politely, intently listening to the young girl. Once she was finished, he suggested they start with some simple meditation, which brought them to now. The two sat crossed-legged on the floor, Stephen explaining proper breathing techniques.

“Think of someplace or even someone, that makes you feel safe and secure.” He suggested. 

“Right.” Wanda scoffed. 

Wanda did not have as many positive memories that someone her age should have; dead parents, dead twin, experimented on, forced out her home country, yeah lots of positivity. Well… things had gotten better, what with school and Peter, of course, Tony. Maybe she could find something positive. Soon her mind was full of late-night snacks with Tony and sweet kisses with Peter. Stephen cracked one eye open and saw his new protégé was smiling. Now they were getting somewhere. They stayed like that for a few more minutes until the door opened and Peter walked in. 

“Hey Sweetie.” Wanda shot up and went over to him, giving him a kiss hello. “How are you doing?”

“Better now I’m with you.” Peter said trying to sound suave but he couldn‘t hide his blush, which caused Wanda to smile. 

“Excuse me.” Wanda and Peter turned to the Doctor whose presence had been forgotten for a moment. 

“Oh Sorry, Peter this is…”

“Doctor Stephen Strange.” Peter said in awe, stepping forward to shake his hand. “I read all about you, your work is fascinating. I’ve read almost all your papers.” Peter babbled for a moment while Stephen tried to hid his amazement. 

“Thank you. Tell me, how old you are?”

“Sixteen Sir.” 

“He’s very smart.” Wanda kissed his cheek, causing Peter to blush. “He was showing me some techniques to stay in control.” 

“Would you like to join us?” 

“Sure.” 

Over the next hour or so, Stephen explained to the two teens the proper way of meditating and how it could help them focus, emphasis on focus when he caught them sneaking glances at each when they should have their eyes closed. When Stephen had to leave, he created a swirling portal which caused Peter’s jaw to hit the floor. 

“Can… can you teach me that?” 

“Once you’ve mastered the meditation.” And with that, he stepped through. 

“That was awesome.” Peter cheered when the portal disappeared. “You think he’ll actually teach me?” 

“I think he will.” Wanda assured him, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the kitchen. While Wanda made them some tea, he remembered what she had said earlier. 

“What did you mean about staying in control? Did something happen?”

“Oh, no nothing like that.” She assured him. “It’s just the nature of my powers. I mentioned it to Tony, and he arranged for me to meet Strange.” Peter nodded as she sat across from him, passing him a mug. 

“Can I help you with that sort of thing? Or…”

“Peter, you already help so much. Since we got together, and I started going out more I feel so much better and sure of myself. I just want to keep that going. Besides anyone who tries hard enough can learn the mystic arts, I mean moving stuff with our mind is cool, but making a portal would be even cooler.” 

“That portal is really cool, you could just go from one end of the city to the other in like five seconds.” 

“Never be late for a date again.” Wanda teased. 

“One time.” Peter groaned. He was patrolling one evening and lost track of time handling a mugging. By the time he got her message he was an hour late and arrived at the tower with his tail between his legs.

Wanda was in the living room, all dressed up (making him feel worse) and Tony looking extremely disappointed. After spending ten minutes chewing Peter out about how to properly treat a lady, he left him to grovel for forgiveness (Tony’s words). Wanda, being the wonderful angel that she was, stopped him before he could get on his knees and told him that she understood why he was late. She gave him a kiss and then the two went to an all-night dinner down the street. 

“So when’s Doctor Strange coming back?” 

“We’re going to try and make it a weekly thing, so long as there are no interdimensional threats.” 

It seemed that there was to be a significant decline in the number of interdimensional threats as Stephen returned to the tower to teach Wanda, and occasionally Peter, some more techniques. This was part of their routine for the next month or so. Strange found that he rather enjoyed the company of the two teenagers; they were smart and liked to ask questions, about his past as a surgeon and the mystic arts. They were level head responsible young people… most of the time. Stephen sat at the kitchen island and checked his phone. The kids were late for their weekly session and it seemed that his cloak was becoming antsy. It seemed to keep looking at the door every few minutes. 

“Will you relax?” Stephen scolded his cloak like it was a child. It was then that the door flew open and the missing couple came in, looking very angry with each other. 

“I had it under control.” Wanda insisted, not noticing they were not alone. 

“Then I would hate to see out of control.” Peter shot back. They must have been at a fight of some kind because they were both covered in bruises and Wanda’s clothes were in need of a good wash. There was also a large cut on her forehead that would need tending to. He had seen the two of them come back from a fight before, but usually, they would be hovering around each other tending to wounds and whispering reassurance if something was troubling them. 

“Excuse me.” Stephen tried to get their attention but to no avail. The couple kept yelling and becoming more agitated with each other. At one point the cloak tried to get their attention but it was also ignored. By now Stephen had had enough. 

He formed a golden lasso and wrapped it around their waists. Before they could react, they were dragged to the couch and forced to sit down. Stephen stood in front of them with his arms crossed and the cloak moved beside him, its (sort of) body language telling them it to was disappointed in their behavior. 

“Now, care to explain what’s going on?” 

“He’s ridiculous.” Wanda said at the same time Peter called her reckless. Stephen pitched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. 

“Okay, Wanda first; what happened?”

“You’re not that kind of doctor.” Peter mocked as the cloak came and covered his mouth. Peter tried to talk but it came out muffled as the cloak wrapped itself around him tighter. 

“Wanda.” Stephen prompted.

“There was some trouble downtown, a robbery. Nothing too serious at first but then it turned out they had guns, but not normal guns, more like something Tony would design. Things got a little out of hand. But we handled it.” She explained.

“Alright.” Stephen nodded. “Peter, your turn.” The cloak released Peter from its hold. 

“Those guns knocked down half the building and nearly crushed her.” He argued. Strange turned to Wanda, who kept her eyes on the ground. That explained the bruises 

“You know I can move stuff with my mind, right?” She asked sarcastically. 

“Yeah but that only works when you can actually see what’s coming towards you. If I hadn’t pushed you out the way you would have been killed.” Peter’s eyes were wide as his anger grew. Steven was a little taken back by this, for the short time he had known Peter he had been nothing but a ball of positive energy that just radiated excitement. It both amazed and annoyed him. 

“Yeah, and they got away.” 

“We can track the tec, all I care about is that you’re okay.” Peter pushed. 

“Which she clearly is Peter.” Steven reminded him. “Look you’re both bound to get beaten up, that’s part of the job. You’ll be worried about each other, but you’ll have each other’s backs.” 

“But he doesn’t have to.” Wanda turned to Peter. “I don’t need you to protect me, I can do it myself. I handled myself for years before I met you.” 

“I know that…”

“Then you should have trusted me to handle myself.”

“This isn’t about me not trusting you.” Peter explained but she ignored him. 

“I’m not some damsel in distress.” 

“I don’t think that’s what he’s saying.” Stephen argued but no one paid him any attention. He took a deep breath and tried to remember why he shouldn’t go back to isolating himself like after his accident. 

“Okay, say I didn’t save you what then? You would have been crushed under concrete and I would have lost you and I can’t lose you, Wanda.” His words were so passionate that any come back Wanda may have had was lost, even the Sorcerer Supreme was speechless. Peter stood and started to pace. Stephen even moved out his path and the cloak hid behind him, afraid of getting in his way. Peter ran his hands through his hair obviously frustrated. 

“I lost my parents, I lost my Uncle Ben. I have lost enough, and I know you have to, but nothing and no one is going to take you from me.” Peter fumed. 

“I’m sorry…” Wanda stuttered before Peter cut her off. 

“I can’t lose you without telling you I love you.” Suddenly the room went silent. 

Peter stopped his pacing and just stared at her, his expression like he was daring her to say something, to come back at him with one of her witty comebacks. Strange was even a little taken back, during his time at the hospital he had witnessed many heartfelt confessions on deathbeds and after successful surgeries. He was even a witness at a shotgun wedding before surgery (a successful one he might add). He was an arsehole, he’ll admit to that any day of the week and he probably still was sometimes, but even he had a romantic at heart. Watching the two of this over the last few weeks, there was defiantly something deeper there. Even his cloak seemed to be getting excited. 

“You love me?” She whispered, taken back by his words. 

“Yeah, I love you.” Peter came to kneel in front of her taking her hand. “I know you can look after yourself, you’re the most badass person I know, but for a second there I was afraid that you’d be gone and would never know.”

“I love you too.” Wanda said with a tear in her eye. “I wanted to tell you but…”

“Wanted to wait for the right time?” Peter smiled, placing a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Yeah.” Wanda breathed. She placed a hand on his cheek and Peter leaned into her touch. She pulled him into a sweet kiss. As much as he found their confession to be adorable, he wasn’t too eager to watch this, Stephen loudly coughed and the two broke apart, blushing. 

“Okay so now that it’s all sorted, Peter get me the first aid kit.” Peter gave Wanda a quick kiss and did as he was told. Stephen knelt in front of Wanda and gently moved her hair so he could see the cut better. The dried blood was starting to flake off, but it would soon open up again. 

“Can’t you heal me yourself?” She asked. “Use your magic or something?” 

“First of all; not magic. Second of all; I spent a long time perfecting my stitching technique and I don’t want to get rusty. Besides, I’m hoping those stitches will serve as a reminder that you’re powerful but not invincible.”

“Peter is hurt too.” She reminded him. 

“Yeah but you don’t have advanced healing so I’m prioritizing.” 

When Peter returned with the kit, Stephen cleaned the wound and then requested a needle and thread in the same tone he would have used in the operating room, a whole lifetime ago. Peter was only too happy to assist, repeating his words like he had seen on T.V. While he stitched her up, Steven told them about some of his more interesting operations. Once he was done, he gave her some painkillers and checked Peter, who had already healed just as he expected he would have. 

"I forget you were a doctor sometimes." Wanda said, trying to fight the urge to touch the stitches. "You miss it?" 

"Sometimes, I mean it was all I ever really wanted to be, but if I could change things I wouldn't. Everything works out the way it's supposed to." He explained, packing up the first aid kit. "So, anything else happen lately?" 

Peter, quite enthusiastically, talked about the LEGO Death Star he and Ned were working on. Strange nodded politely, smiling as the couple when back to their usual disgustingly sweet selves. The three sat and talked for a little longer before Steven had to leave. He promised he would be back the next day to check Wanda’s stitches and then stepped through his portal, leaving the couple alone. They sat in silence, processing what had happened between them. They sat huddled close with Peter’s arms wrapped tight around her. He ran his finger through her hair or stroked her arm, as if assuring himself she was really there, and she was safe. They soon fell asleep in each other’s arms.


	7. May and Wanda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have finally got over my writers block and have updated. I have also successfully finished University with a 2:1 so things are going pretty well and if you want to help it get even better how about some comments and kudos :) ;)

Wanda was nervous. In fact this was probably the most nervous she had been in a long time. She was standing in front of her closet, hands on her hips. Normally, Natasha would be here to help her, but she was currently on assignment for S.H.E.I.L.D. Wanda signed loudly. 

“Hey, F.R.I.D.A.Y.” She called to the A.I. 

“Yes Wanda.” 

“Is Pepper free?” She asked hopefully, with Natasha gone Pepper were her last hope.

“She’s in meetings most of the day.” The A.I replied. “But she should be free now, I’ll call her.”  
Pepper answered on the second ring and her face showed up on Wanda’s phone (lasted model, thanks to Tony). She smiled brightly at the young girl and Wanda immediately felt better. Pepper was always happy to see Wanda and she was thankful for the positive influence she seemed to be having on Tony, her, and Peter. It seemed having someone he regarded as being his responsibility was very good for him. 

“Hey, Sweetie what’s up?”

“Are you free to help me for a minute?” 

“Of course my next meeting isn’t for another half hour.” She explained. “What do you need?”

“So, I’m having dinner with Peter’s aunt tonight, just the two of us and I don’t know what to wear. I’m also freaking out.” She confessed.

Pepper nodded sympathetically, she had always been nervous when meeting a boyfriend’s parents in the past, desperately hoping they would like her (which they usually did). She couldn’t imagine what Wanda was feeling right now, May was the only relative Peter had and if she didn’t like her then that could be a problem. Of course, by now they had been dating for a few months now, so if she was worried about something it would have come up sooner, but this would be the first time the two had spent a significant amount of time alone.

“Okay, point the phone towards the closet, let me see what we have to work with.” Wanda did as she was told and waited patiently for Pepper’s thoughts.  
While she looked at Wanda’s closet, she thought of a few dozen possible combinations. It was cold out so she would need to wrap up warm, there was a stylish infinity scarf she could see on the hanger which would work, and a cute sweater dress that she knew suited Wanda really well. Okay, she had it. 

“Get some black leggings and the sweater dress.” She began in the same tone she used in her meetings, the one she used to take control of the room. “Add the infinity scarf and curl your hair, light makeup, and the bracelet Peter gave you.”

Wanda smiled at that. Peter gave her the bracelet a few weeks ago, for no other reason than that he thought it suited her. It was a leather band with red beads and he even splashed out for a ‘P’ and a ‘W’ charm (Tony paid him for the ‘internship’). She had never been given anything like it and the fact he got it just because, made it even more special.  
“And hey, don’t worry too much, Peter loves you and May will trust his judgment,” Pepper assured her. Wanda silently nodded her head, still unsure about the whole thing. The two said their goodbyes and Wanda gently tossed her phone on the bed. She laid the sweater dress and the leggings on the bed before starting on her hair and makeup. 

Meanwhile across the city, May Parker was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea that had long since gone cold. Her freshly painted nails tapping against the mug. The car that Tony had sent for her was due to pick her up in about an hour and take her to the restaurant. A classy five-star place where it would usually take months to get a reservation at (unless your name was Stark) and the whole thing was already paid for. Despite being the adult in this scenario, she was nervous about tonight. This was an aspect of parenting that she was not very familiar with, Peter had never really been in a serious relationship before, and despite how young they were, that seemed to be where this was heading. She was also, and a little ashamed by this, worried about her powers. Of course, Peter had assured her that she was a good person and she had seen her on the news and social media, people were really warming up to her. She was slightly worried about the mind control power. Tony had promised her the effect was only temporary and that the person knew it had happened, so it was unlikely Peter was being coerced into a relationship. He also explained that Wanda had not used that power in forever, deciding to focus on her telekinesis.  
The older woman took a deep breath and a sip of her tea, making a face when she realized how cold it had become. She poured what was left down the sink and rinsed the mug. She was going to trust her nephew and give the girl a chance. After all, it had been a few months now and this dinner was honestly long overdue. 

About an hour later, the car had dropped May off at the restaurant. She went in and gave the hostess Tony’s name and then was led to the table, where Wanda was waiting for her, nervously wringing a napkin. May sat down and the two smiled, putting each other at ease. They ordered some drinks and while they looked at the menus, they made small talk, getting relaxed around each other before they would talk about the bigger stuff. 

“So, what’s it like working with the Avengers?” May asked once they ordered their food.

“It’s…” Wanda paused trying to find the right words. “Different to how I thought my life would be but I’m very grateful for everything they’ve done for me. Especially Tony.”

“Peter told me about how he’s helped you. You know he pisses me off some times but I can see why Peter admires him so much.” 

“Oh my god, Peter follows him like a puppy, everything Tony does amazes him, but Peter is pretty amazing too.” Wanda said with a dreamy smile as she thought about her boyfriend.  
May noticed this and it warmed her heart to see the effect her nephew had on Wanda. She had seen Peter with the same smile whenever he talked about her. 

“Now, I wanted to talk to you about… well, what I mean is.” She began, unsure of how she should start. 

“Is it about my powers?” 

“Well yes actually.” 

“And you're worried I might use them on him.” Wanda continued. 

“Tony said that they didn’t last long, so I’m not asking if you’re manipulating him or anything.” She explained, noticing that the young girl visibly relaxed. “But have you ever used them on him?”

“Never.” She assured her. “Only telekinesis when we train and his powers mean he recovers quickly so there have never been any long-lasting effects.” 

“I know your relationship is real, I’ve seen his face when he talks about you and I’ve seen him when your around, he really loves you, but you have to understand my concern.” 

“No I do, I really do. Dr. Strange is helping me with controlling them and I haven’t used mental manipulation in so long. Tony and Peter have been helping me cope with my past and working with the Avengers have helped me feel I’m making a difference, there’s also my online classes…” Wanda rambled, desperate to assure May that she was as good for Peter as he was for her. She stopped when May took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Wanda, I believe you.” She assured her, eyeing the bracelet on her wrist. When Peter showed it to her when he bought it, she was reminded of her late husband who would bring her gifts and flowers ‘just because’. “Honesty, I was worried when Peter first mentioned you, but I trust his judgment and I know he’s happy with you, he really in love with you.”

“And me him.” 

“Then we're okay Sweetie.” The term of endearment made Wanda’s face light up.

“Really?”

“Of course.” Wanda took a sip of her dink to help her calm down, not noticing May’s sly grin. “After all there’s a high chance you’ll be my niece-in-law.” The use of the phrase made Wanda choke on her drink. 

“Um…well…” She stuttered before the older woman took pity on her. 

“I’m teasing Sweetie.” It was then that their food came, and the rest of the evening became more relaxed as the two had come to an understanding. 

As they ate, the two exchanged stories about times with Peter and Wanda told her some stories about her brother. May was careful when it came to asking about Wanda’s parents, but she was able to tell her some stories from before everything changed. Since their meal had already been paid for, the two indulged in some chocolate cake before the car was called to take them home. During the drive, they continued to talk and laugh together, all the uncertainty from the start of the evening was completely gone. May was dropped off first and they hugged before wishing each other a good night. 

By the time she reached the apartment, May was dead on her feet but really happy. When he opened the door Peter was right in front of her taking her coat, asking how it went and if she liked Wanda. 

“Peter, Peter, I love her, she’s wonderful.” May assured him. 

“Oh thank god, I mean I knew you would love her. I told you she was awesome.”

“Well I think we really hit it off. The three of us should have dinner soon.” 

“Yeah, that would be great.” Peter smiled at the thought of two of his favorite people getting along so well. 

“You’re a lucking guy, Peter and she’s pretty lucky to.” She kissed his cheek before going to get ready for bed. Peter grabbed his phone and called Wanda. 

“Hey, Babe.” She greeted him, sounding really happy. 

“Hey, so I heard it went really well.”

“Yeah, she’s awesome. At first, she was worried about my powers, but Tony talked to her and I think that really helped.” She decided to leave out the part about May’s momentary worry her nephew may be being coerced.

“Well I’m really glad you two had fun.” They talked for a little longer as Peter told her about playing video games with Ned while they were out, and she told him about the amazing food they had had. When Wanda let out a yawn, he told her to sleep and that he would see her tomorrow. 

“You actually going to hang out with me, or just stay in the lab?” She teased, already picturing Peter rolling his eyes at her comment. 

“You’ll have my full attention.” He promised. 

“Lucky me.” She said in a flirty tone. “I love you.”

“I love you to, good night Beautiful.” 

“Night Handsome.” When they hung up, the two went about their nightly routines and were soon in bed, their happy thoughts becoming happy dreams.


	8. Sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so I finally have some more ideas for future chapters now. Since I want to keep this going for as long as possible, I would love to hear any ideas you guys have for future chapters or if there are any characters you want me to introduce. I am planning on adding some more Doctor Strange scenes and I'm trying to come up a story line to bring Jessica Jones in. Comments and Kudos make me smile 'hint hint'

Wanda could feel his eyes on her, and it made her feel warm inside. Wanda was sitting crossed-legged on the bed, her textbooks floating around her with the help of her powers, pages turning with a flick of her fingers. After a second or two, she let the books gently fall to the floor and turned to face Peter who was leaning against the doorframe. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” She teased. 

“My storage is basically full of pictures of you, so I think I’m good.” He came to sit next to her and gave her a quick kiss. “How’s studying going?”

“It’s going, I guess.” She signed. “I think the meditation is helping a lot and I suppose being surrounded by geniuses be very motivating.” 

“Well I think you’re awesome and you will do amazing.” He assured her, putting his arm around her. 

“You’re supposed to say that.”

“What because I’m your boyfriend? That’s exactly why you should believe it.” His face left no room for argument and she decided to just sink into his embrace and accept his compliments. 

The couple were soon cuddled up on Wanda’s bed, talking about a mission they went on the other week. They had reports of a lab of some kind that was doing similar experiments that the Maximoff twins volunteered for, except these subjects were not volunteers. The others were reluctant to let the two go with them, but Wanda was determined to go with them, and Peter was just as determined to join her, which led to Tony mumbling something about young love. It seemed they had caught wind of their mission and tried to clear everything out, but you could never really remove anything from a computer, so Tony had his work cut out for him. When they got back, despite not having to fight anyone, Wanda collapsed on her bed and Peter followed suit. 

Wanda knew it wasn’t the same people who gave her and her brother their powers, and to this day she still stood by her decisions, after all that’s how she eventually met Peter. What she hated was the idea that people were being forced into this life. Every experiment, every test, all the training, what got her through it was the idea that she would be able to avenge her parents. She had a reason to keep going but those people didn’t have that, she shivered as she thought about how many would be happy for it all to end. She explained this to Peter and soon her tears were staining his shirt. 

This had been just two weeks ago, but it felt longer. Tony had got what he could from the computers and (reluctantly) handed it over to Fury. If any progress had been made, they weren’t telling them. It had been years until the Hydra experiments came to light, so she didn’t hold her breath. Since the mission, Tony and Peter had been particularly attentive, bordering on smothering but not quite there yet, so she hadn’t said anything. To be honest, she liked the attention, after going through most of her life without any real care from anyone except her brother, she enjoyed the change. 

Meanwhile, in the lab, Tony was working on some upgrades for his suits, everyone would joke that should there ever come a day he stopped upgrading then they should have him committed. F.R.I.D.A.Y had told him that Peter had arrived, but Tony knew he was there for Wanda, so he didn’t expect to see him. He was glad that the couple was still going strong. He hated how upset she was about the mission a few weeks ago, there was no proof anyone who was involved with her powers was there, but it still brought back bad memories and he had a feeling she may not be able to let this go for some time. With any luck, Fury would have something for them soon. 

“Hey, Boss.” F.R.I.D.A.Y said. 

“Yeah.” He replied not looking up from his screen. 

“You got a call coming in from May.”

“Put her on.”

“Tony.” May’s voice greeted. 

“May, what can I do for you?” 

“Listen, I have to work late tonight and I’m sure you've seen the weather.”

“Uh…Yeah…defiantly.” He quickly rushed to a monitor. It was raining cats and dogs, with a high chance of thunder and lightning. “Carry on.”

“Anyway, I don’t want Peter alone tonight, so I was wondering if he could stay with you, I wanted to ask you before I called him. Please?” She begged. 

“Yeah, I don’t see why not. I call him down and tell him the good news for you.” There were plenty of spare rooms in the tower so there wasn’t a problem. 

“Oh thank god.” May breathed a sigh of relief and in the background, he heard someone call her name. “I got to go, thanks again, Tony.”

“No problem.” He assured her before hanging up. “Hey Baby girl, call the happy couple down will you?”

“Sure thing Boss.” The A.I replied happily.

A few minutes later, Wanda and Peter came down and Tony repeated what May said, smirking as the couple tried to hide their excitement at the idea of spending the night together. Tony had F.R.I.D.A.Y order some pizza and he finished up his work before going to join them in the living room for a movie. They settled on a cheesy horror film at Tony’s recommendation, who argued that watching a real horror movie during this kind of weather would be a total cliché.

Despite there being no real horror in the movie, Wanda would snuggle into Peter’s arms like she was actually scared. They would also feed each fries while the movie played, which both disgusted and pleased Tony, being the secret romantic he really was, but it did put him off his own food. These evenings he would spend with the two of them were always fun for him, and the times' Pepper was able to join them were his favorites. In the past, he would have described his perfect evening as partying with some heavy drinking, but if you asked him now, he would say take out and movies with his kids. And yes, he saw them both as his kids. 

As it got late, Pepper came home and not only was she drenched from the rain, but she was beat from having to deal with annoying board members all day. Tony greeted her with a kiss and sent her for a shower and then straight to bed. As she passed them, she gave the two a tired wave and they all wished her goodnight. Not long after, Tony decided he would call it a night and join Pepper. 

“Now obviously you two are in separate rooms tonight.” Tony said. The teenagers groaned at his words and he shook his head. “No, no, I don’t want to hear it. I’m always saying don’t do anything I would do and sneaking into a girlfriend’s room is definitely something that I would do.” 

“Is that what you do with Pepper?” Wanda teased. 

“Jokes on you; we’re adults who share a room. No sneaking around required.” He pointed a finger at Peter. “Stay out of her room. Goodnight.”

“Good night.” They replied before finishing the movie. Once it was finished, they cleared the takeout boxes away, despite being told by Tony he hired people for that kind of thing, and Wanda showed him to one of the guest rooms. It reminded him of a fancy hotel room with a private bathroom, a large bed with fresh sheets, and huge windows, displaying a beautiful view of the city. His room back home could fit into this room at least three times. He did a flip and landed on the bedspread out like a star. Wanda laughed at her boyfriend’s childish antics and she went to lie next to him, chatting happily about what they could do in the morning. 

“Which is better; waffles or pancakes?” She asked him, her favorite was waffles. 

“Both are good as long as you have tones, and I mean TONES of syrup.” 

“You know how bad that is for your teeth?”

“Advanced healing stops cavities.” He replied with a shrug.

“Have you actually tested that?” He looked at her like she had just given him a great idea and she hit him with a pillow, telling him not to even think about it. Peter easily overpowered her and pulled the pillow away before she could hit him again. When she let out a yawn, he kissed her and told her she should head to bed. Wanda pouted but she said goodnight and told him there were some spare pajamas in the draws and went to her own room. Sometime later, after performing his nightly routine and sending a goodnight text to May, Peter was about to turn the light off when the door creaked open and Wanda came in. 

“What are you doing?” Peter whispered. “Mr. Stark said…” 

“Tony said you couldn’t come to my room, but he didn’t say I couldn’t come to yours.” She explained, lifting the covers and getting into bed with him. He could smell her minty toothpaste and he wrapped his arms around her, internally smiling at her argument 

“Your hair is really soft.” He whispered after they got comfortable. He ran his fingers through her hair, letting it flow between his fingers. “I love your hair.” 

“Thanks.” He didn’t have to see her face to know she was blushing, not quite used to his compliments and adoration, even after all these months together. He tilted her head up and made her look at him. 

“I love your hair, your accent, I love it when your eyes turn red when you use your powers. How calm you look when you’re meditating…” Wanda nuzzled her face into his neck, muffling her sounds of embarrassment, which promoted Peter to laugh and continue with his list. “I love that you love to cook, I love how you never go easy on me in training since you know I can take it.” She tried to wriggle away giggling, but he pulled her back. “And I love how you find loopholes.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“Nope.” He said with a serious look on his face. “No other girls, just you.” For a second Liz’s face flashed through his mind, but it was immediately replaced with the girl lying in his arms. He did really like Liz and they were still friends, but when he was around her, he was always so awkward, and he would become tongue-tied. With Wanda it was comfortable, and he didn’t stutter over his words, they just came to him so easily. He remembered reading a quote somewhere that said when you met the person you were supposed to be with, you felt completely at ease, which was exactly how Wanda made him feel. 

“I love you.” She said like it was an indisputable fact, which it really was. “I love how happy you look when you and Tony are working in the lab, I love your puppy dog eyes and your smile. I love how protective you can be, despite how annoying it can get.” She cupped his cheek and he leaned into her touch, kissing her palm. “I love how you were never scared of me.” 

“You could never scare me.” He promised her and she knew he was telling the truth. They lay there, holding each other close, enjoying the comfort they provided each other and soon they fell into a deep sleep.


	9. Girl of his dreams

Wanda couldn’t breathe. Her whole body was shaking, and her face was wet with tears. It was happening again, this can’t be happening again. First her parents, then Pietro and now Peter. Had she not lost enough? 

It started out so normal, or at least as normal as any mission could be. They had got a hit about the lab that was forcefully experimenting on people and went to check it out. The team consisted of Tony, Wander, Peter, Natasha, Steve, and Strange who was at the tower to train with Wanda and decided to join them, having a sorcerer around was always a good idea after all. Unlike the last time, they actually got into a fight. 

Wanda and Peter stuck together, making sure to watch each other’s backs, just as they always did. All those months of training together meant that they were well coordinated. While Wanda shot her powers in all directions and created shields where her teammates needed them, Peter was webbing the guard's hands so they couldn’t use their guns. 

“Have I told you how hot you are when you make shields?” Peter called, swinging past her. 

“Will you two be professional.” Tony scolded over the coms. 

“You’re one to talk, Stark.” Natasha teased.

“Just trying to keep the romance alive.” Peter argued, shooting more webbing. 

“Now is not the time.” Stephen called, sending some guards through a portal to who knows where. Before anyone else could chime in, Peter was on the ground and he wasn’t moving. Wanda screamed his name her eyes turning a darker red as red flares burst out of her. The bullets flying towards her were turned to dust and the guards were knocked out. She ran to Peter, who was breathing but knocked out cold. Natasha knelt next to her and put her arm around the distressed young girl. 

“Strange; can you portal these two back to the tower? We’ll stay and wait for S.H.E.I.L.D cleanup.” She said calmly, but she couldn’t hide her own concern for her young teammate. 

“It’s going to be okay Wanda.” Strange assured her, casting a spell to levitate Peter through the portal he made. Wanda ran after them and the portal closed behind them.  
Sometime later after the rest of the team returned, Peter was still unconscious. Bruce and Strange had checked him out and it seemed there was a foreign substance in his bloodstream. Further analysis of the bullets being shot at them contained some kind of toxin. Tony called May who was sitting with Wanda at Peter’s bedside, stroking his hair, like she would when he was sick. 

“I thought he had advanced healing?” Steve asked, wearily watching the young man lying on the bed, Wanda holding his hand, afraid to let him go. 

“When it comes to bruises and cuts, yeah but we don’t know how advanced it is, he’s never been shot, let alone a toxic bullet.” Tony explained. “What’s the diagnosis Doc?”

“Well, my best guess is that his body has shut down to allow his healing to take effect, but the scans show brain activity is declining. I’ll have to go in and get him out.” 

“Will that work?” Wanda asked. 

“I believe it will, and I think Wanda should come with me.” 

“What?”

“He’s most likely stuck in some kind of dream and the best way to bring him out is with something to anchor him to reality. He loves you and he trusts you. I can guide you through it. Your powers will make it easier.” Strange assured her.

“I haven’t used that power in so long and I swore I wouldn’t use anything like that on him.”

“You won’t hurt him.”

“Please, Wanda. He’s all I have.” 

Wanda looked down at her unconscious boyfriend. At first glance, it would seem as if he was asleep, but if you looked closer you would see the color had all but drained from his face and there were droplets of sweat on his forehead. She had never seen him this still, it was like he was on a constant caffeine high most of the time. She leaned down to kiss his hair, whispering, ‘please don’t leave me.’ She turned back to the doctor and asked what he needed her to do. 

He instructed her to sit crossed-legged on the floor and he chanted a simple spell, before taking Wanda and Peter’s hands in his, creating a chain. He instructed the others to not let anything happen to them, or the connection would be broken. He turned to Wanda, who still looked unsure.  
“Close your eyes and think of Peter, call out to him in your mind.” Wanda nodded and soon her mind was filled with memories of Peter. 

When they cooked dinner that first day they met, their first date where he made her feel so happy. Trips to the park and movie nights. Late nights texts with heart emojis and cute Star Wars gifs. Going on missions with him had been different, laughing at his witty remarks during a fight while Tony would scold him for it, even though he did it himself. She thought about the evenings they would spend cuddled together on the couch or in her room, his arms wrapped around her, protecting her from the nightmares. 

“Wanda.” Strange’s voice broke through the thoughts and she opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. They weren’t in the tower anymore, they were in a park, in fact, it was the same park she and Peter would go on walks in. He told her that he used to come here all the time with his aunt and uncle when he was little. It was then she realized they were in Peter’s mind. She turned to Strange who was no longer in his robes but casual street clothes. 

“Do you know this place?” He asked. “Is it important to him?”

“Yes, he’d come here when he was younger, we have dates here all the time.” She replied, pointing to an ice cream stand. “They have the best chocolate.” Strange chuckled and they walked around, looking for Peter. 

“So what should we expect?” She asked after some time walking. 

“To be honest, I have no idea. Everyone’s mind is different, we could be here because this has always been a safe place for him and perhaps this is where his subconscious came to heal.” He theorized. She could practically hear the gears moving in his once renowned mind. It was something she truly admired about Strange, the way his mind would process information and come up with ideas, very much like how Tony worked. She was about to say something when she finally saw Peter. 

He was standing by a beautiful fountain, that she recognized. The benches and flower pots surrounding the fountain where in better shape here then they were in reality. She walked slowly towards Peter, afraid she would scare him away. She turned back to Strange who nodded, prompting her to carry on. She gently took Peter’s hand hers and for a second, she thought he didn’t know she was there, but then he squeezed her hand, not taking his eyes off the water. 

“Are you real?” He whispered.

“Yes, I am.” She assured him. “What do you remember?”

“We were fighting someone and suddenly I was here.” He explained. 

“You were shot, the bullets had some poison in them.” Wanda filled him in. 

“When I woke up here, I knew it had to be a dream, this place is too clean and quiet, not a piece of trash in sight.” He chuckled and Wanda asked what was so funny. “Well, you’re usually in my dreams so…”

“We’re here to take you home.” 

“We?” She pointed behind them where Strange gave them an awkward wave and Peter, ever the gentleman waved back. 

“Mays’ waiting for you.” Wanda said. 

“Is she okay?” 

“She’s going out of her mind and I think she is very close to killing Tony, so we should probably get you back.” She dragged him over to where Strange was waiting. 

“Let’s go home before some of your more unsavory dreams come out.” Strange took their hands and recited a spell and they were soon surrounded in a golden light.  
Wanda opened her eyes and she shot up when she heard Peter groan. She rushed to his side, kissing his face and asking if he was okay before the others surrounded him. Tony told everyone to back up and give him some space so Bruce and Strange could take a look at him. Once they did and it seemed he was going to make a full recovery. 

“I guess you really are the girl of my dreams.” Peter smiled, causing half the room to go ‘Awww’ and the other half to groan and mock gag, which Wanda ignored and simply kissed him. 

Later that evening, Wanda was curled up against Peter and May was asleep in one of the guest rooms as Tony’s insistence. It was decided that the two would stay the night while Peter was recovering. 

“I remembered something from the fight.” Peter whispered, despite them being the only two in the room. 

“What was it?”

“That bullet was heading for you.” He said. “I didn’t even think about it, I just reacted, and I guess it worked.”

“You call this working?” Wanda gestured to the medical equipment around them. 

“Well better me than you, I just thought ‘I can’t let her get hurt.” 

“As much as I appreciate the gesture, don’t ever do that again.” 

“I can’t promise that.” 

“Well, I guess I can’t promise that either if I’m honest.” She signed and cuddled closer to him. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He smiled at her. “Would you say I’m the guy of your dreams?” 

“You’re real, that makes you even better.”


	10. Peter and Parker

Natasha grew up in a, what could only be described as, unconventional environment. She and dozens of other girls were raised to be ruthless machines that were designed to obey orders, nothing was to come before the mission. Despite being brought up in an all-girl school, friendship was discouraged, after all, they were competing against each other. Love was for children and friendship was for infants. 

After joining the Avengers she was actually able to say she had friends, Barton’s kids called her Aunt Nat, she had finally found her place in the world and she had a real family. She believed this would be as good as it got, but then she met Wanda. Suddenly the young girl became like a sister to her. They talked clothes, a guilty pleasure Natasha had always had, watched trashy America reality T.V. She was always the first person she came to when she had a problem. This girl was one of the few people to look at her with complete trust and Natasha truly treasured that. 

The two were currently in the training room, sparring. Wanda had been banned from using her powers, as Natasha wanted to teach her hand to hand. Wanda was blocking her punches and trying to find a weak spot when she was suddenly on her back on the training mat. Natasha stood over her with her hands on her hips and a big smile.

“Come on Kiddo, I was going easy on you.”

“That was easy?” Wanda cried out in shock. 

“You wouldn’t last one day in the Red Room.” She helped Wanda to her feet and passed her a water bottle, which she downed in ten seconds. “How’s training with Strange going?”

“Really good, he took me to the Sanctum the other day and showed me some of the books they have. I think he’s going to show me how to perform spells soon.” Wanda smiled, excited at the thought of practicing magic. 

“Just don’t work too hard, have some fun with Peter.” Natasha advised. “You two have anything planned?”

“Not at the moment.” Before either of them could say something else, Tony’s voice came over the sound system. 

“Ladies.” He began. “I think you two should join us in the living room.” The audio cut off and the two looked at each other, having noticed how strange he sounded. Suddenly his voice was back, and he definitely sounded off this time. “I do mean now, by the way, hop to it.” 

The two made their way to the living room, wondering what could be wrong with Tony. When they arrived, Tony, Steve, Peter, Pepper, and Strange were all there. Wanda went to sit with Peter and it was then she noticed there was another person in the room with them, and he looked exactly like Peter. 

Physically they looked exactly the same, but there was something off about him. He dressed differently, where her Peter always wore goofy science pun shirts this one wore dark clothes and there was a brown jacket slung on the chair next to him. They were the same age, but he seemed older somehow. His eyes were different for starters; where her Peter’s eyes were full of light and excitement, this Peter’s eyes where dark. He had a similar look she had seen in Steve sometimes when he thought about his time back in the army. They were the eyes of someone who had seen so much pain. 

“So, I assume you all have questions.” Strange began. “As I’m sure most of you are aware of theories involving alternative realities and part of my job is to keep these realities in order.“

“Seeing as there are two Peters, I don’t know if you’re very good at it.” Steve said, but Strange continued, ignoring him. 

“Long story short, I traveled to one of these realities and got into a fight.”

“And I saved his ass.” Other Peter chimed in. “Anyway, after the fight the Doc here cast a spell to go home but something went wrong, and I got sucked in. Now we have to find a  
way back to my reality.” 

“Can’t you use the same spell you used to go there in the first place?” Pepper asked. 

“It’s not an exact science, I’m not sure how I got there in the first place.” Strange confessed. “I know where to look but it will take time so, I figured he couldn’t hang out here.”

“He’s not like an evil copy, is he?” Peter asked. 

“How do I know you’re not the evil copy.” 

“He’s Spider-Man in his reality and he works with the Avengers there too, I did my research so we’re all good.” Strange assured them. 

“Team looks a little different here though.” The other Peter said, looking at Wanda which Tony noticed.

“I take it there’s no Wanda where you come from.” He asked, noticing how uncomfortable his gaze was making the girl feel. It seemed this Peter did not possess the same charm the kid had.

“Is that your name, I would love to know more about you.” The newcomer flirted. 

“She’s also my girlfriend.” The original Peter said, feeling weird about feeling threatened by himself. 

“Lucky guy.” He held up his hand in mock surrender. “Look, stick me in front of the T.V and you won’t even notice I’m here.” 

“How about the two underoos join me the lab?” Tony suggested. Both Peter’s seemed happy with this idea and the rest of the team dispersed. Before leaving to get cleaned up Wanda gave her Peter a quick kiss, leaving him with a wistful look on his face.

“You’re so sweet together.” The other Peter said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“You’re just jealous.” 

“Okay, so to avoid confusion, Peter from this reality will be known as ‘Peter’ and the other Peter will be called ‘Parker’, sound good?” Tony suggested. 

“Real creative, my Tony would have come up with better.” Other Peter, or Parker, said.

“Yeah well he’s not here.”

During the next hour, Peter and Parker compared their realities. They got their powers the same way and they still lived with May. They went to the same school and had the same friends, except instead of living in Brooklyn, May and Parker moved to Hell’s Kitchen. There he met Dare Devil who trained him for a few years until he started working with Tony and the Avengers. Peter also explained to him what Wanda’s powers where and how she lost her family, deciding not to go into too much detail. 

“How did you meet?” Parker asked, not looking up from his web-shooters. 

“She lives here with Tony and I came over one day to work in the lab, we got talking and texting, I asked her out and the rest is history.” He explained. 

“Seems nice.”

“So you’re not dating anyone?”

“Kind of hard to date when you fight villains all the time.” 

“I do it.” 

“Your Wanda has powers and if there is a Wanda in my reality, she doesn’t have powers. I think I’d know if there was a girl with crazy mind powers running around.”

“We all need someone.” 

“Yeah well now I need a snack, so I’ll be back.” Parker got up and left the lab. 

This tower was pretty much the same as the tower in his reality in regards to the layout so he found the kitchen pretty easily. He paused when he saw Wanda sitting there with a cup of coffee and a book. He was now out of her workout clothes and was now wearing some black jeans and a burgundy jumper with her hair tied up. Parker watched her for a moment or two and he actually wondered if there was a Wanda in his reality. Wanda looked up from her book and smiled politely at him. 

“Hey.” She greeted. 

“Hi, just looking for some food.” 

“I guess your metabolism is like Peter’s… well the other Peter, my Peter anyway.” She pointed to one of the cupboards where they kept the junk food. “Has Tony given you nick-names?”

“Yeah, he’s calling me Parker.” 

“So, Peter and Parker.” Wanda laughed.

“I guess its better than Peter A and Peter B.” He took a bite of a cookie. “He told me how you met, sounds cute.”

“Yeah, I’m really happy to be with him.” She smiled at him. “So, is your reality any different?”

“Not too much I guess, the Avengers seem to be the same with a few exceptions and New York doesn’t look any different. I’d never met a sorcerer before, but I imagine we have them over there.” He explained, thinking about his early interaction with Strange when he first arrived in his reality. He had been fighting a gang who had got their hands on some pretty advanced tec when this guy just showed up in some weird robes and helped him finished the guys off. After the fight, Strange explained being from another reality and before he knew it, Parker was being dragged into that reality. He couldn’t wait to tell Matt about all this. 

“They are pretty secretive, they stayed off S.H.E.I.L.D’s radar for a while so I wouldn’t be surprised.” Wanda said, pulling Parker out of his thoughts. 

“I guess you’re right. Must be fun getting to go on missions with your boyfriend.”

“I don’t think fun is the right word.” Wanda said, thinking about the last mission the couple went on a few weeks ago which ended with Wanda having to go into his mind. “We always have each other’s backs and we knew what we were getting into when we got together.” 

“Well good luck to you two.” Parker said with a small smile, grabbing the rest of the cookies. He turned back to face her, and she looked at him, expecting a question. “Is it worth it? Being together even though you lose each other?”

“You could lose anyone at any time.” She replied thinking about her parents and her brother. “I don’t think having powers has anything to do with it, it’s just the way the world works. I suppose we could not be together but then I think we’d just be miserable, or at least I would be. If we could lose each other at any time, that’s enough motivation to be together while we can.” 

Parker though about what she had said and politely nodded before heading back to the lab. Tony and Peter were happy to see the food, too engrossed in their work to realize that they were hungry. The three continued to talk about and soon F.R.I.D.A.Y was calling them to say that Strange had returned. On the way out, Peter stopped Parker, letting Tony go ahead of them. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask; how do you deal with the nightmares?” Peter asked. He didn’t even have to ask, he knew that this version of himself must have suffered from them just like he did. 

“Caffeine mostly, you?”

“Tony has me see a counselor, he and May insisted. Wanda helps to.”

“How?”

“I call her or text her some nights. Most of the time she’s up to so we help each other.” Peter smiled, thinking about some of their late night's conversations. Most of the time they didn’t talk about their nightmares they just talked about random stuff, like funny videos, until one of them fell asleep again. “I know what you need in your reality?”

“Do tell?”

“You need a Wanda.” Peter said with confidence. 

“There a sale going on somewhere?” Parker joked, but when Peter didn’t smile back at him 

“I’m serious, she’s made me better.”

“I’m not some charity case who needs saving.” Parker said through gritted teeth, Peter put his hands up in surrender. 

“I know you’re not and neither am I but being with her has made me so happy and that alone makes me better.” Peter patted his alternative self on the back, and he told him to just think about it before they made their way out of the lab. 

When they reached the sitting room, Strange was there holding a large leather-bound book. Wanda and Tony had taken a seat, but when she saw Peter, Wanda went to stand with him. Exchanging a polite smile with Parker, hoping he thought about what she said earlier. Strange explained that he had found the spell he needed to send Parker (he raised an eyebrow at the nickname) back and the others said their goodbyes while he chanted. 

“Too bad you couldn’t see May. I’m sure she’d love to see this.” Peter said, gesturing between the two of them. 

“Probably not a good idea; she’d freak out and when she freaks out…”

“You freak out.” Peter laughed, happy to see some things never changed, no matter what reality they were in. 

“Pretty much.” Parker turned to Wanda and winked at her. Usually, she would blush at the action, but she just smacked his arm, like she would when Pietro teased her. Parker said his goodbyes to Tony and thanked him for his advice on how to upgrade his web-shooters. Strange opened the portal, leading to the same alleyway where Parker got sucked in by mistake. When he was gone Strange closed the portal and rubbed his temples. 

“Remind me to be more careful when traveling to other realities, I am never going through that again.” He groaned. 

“How bad could it have been?” Tony asked, and Strange looked at him like he had just insulted his mother. 

“Do you have any idea how many books I have had to go through, half of them weren’t even English and Google translate can only get me so far, Stark.” He groaned again and headed in the direction of the kitchen, mumbling about needing coffee. Tony followed him, offering something stronger. 

“So…” Peter turned taking Wanda in his arms. “What do you think of the other me?”

“That he wouldn’t be caught dead in a science pun shirt.” She teased before looking into his eyes. “He wasn’t you, he wasn’t my Peter. You think the other Wanda is cool?”

“She can’t be cooler than you.” Peter assured her before giving her a kiss which she happily returned. 

Meanwhile, in his own reality, the other Peter sat at his desk. Despite being in the other reality for almost a whole day, he had only been gone for an hour or so in this one. After deciding he would keep his trip to himself, for the time being, he did a quick internet search on Strange and found out he was some hotshot surgeon who was currently taking some time off to travel around Asia with his girlfriend, Christine Palmer. 

“Hey Karen.” Peter said, leaning back in his seat.

“Yes Peter.”

“Can you go through social media and find me a Wanda Maximoff. Check everywhere”

“Sure thing.” There was silence for a few seconds while Karen did as she was asked. “I found her.” On the screen appeared an Instagram account. It was her. Her smiling face looked at him, carefree. He scrolled through the account and it seemed this Wanda was very different from the other Wanda. She didn’t have powers for one thing, and she was as an exchange student, with a keen interest in photography. Her account was full of professional-looking photos of the city and selfies with her friends. She looked happy and he wondered if it would really be a good idea to try and meet her.

It was different for their alternative selves, both of being in the life before they met, could he really bring her into his world. It was common in movies and comics, the heroes had a girlfriend who they wanted to protect and who was always used against them. But then he thought about what the other Peter said, how she made him stronger, and how good they were together. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try and meet her. If there was no spark or if she was already with someone, he would forget all about her. 

The next day, Peter was sitting in a café that Wanda had posted about. He knew the chance of seeing her were slim but what did he have to lose? He sat there with his coffee, casually looking around and at his phone. 

“Excuse me.” A voice said, he looked up and his jaw almost hit the floor. There she was. She smiled at him like she was in the photo, she was wrapped up in a coat and hat, holding her mug. “Is this seat free?” He looked around and noticed there were other places to sit. She wanted to sit with him. 

“Yeah sure.” He finally said. She smiled brighter and sat down, removing her coat and hat. 

“I’m Wanda.”

“Peter.” He smiled back at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I want to write a chapter where Peter and Wanda go to a dance, maybe at his school or some fancy gala that Tony takes them to. Any ideas on a romantic song for them to dance to? let me know in the comments.


	11. Wanda and the Bartons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow 205 kudos, I should have started writing about these two sooner. I have some new ideas for more chapters now so keep an eye out.

This was the first vacation Wanda had been on, ever. She sat on the porch of Clint’s farmhouse with a cup of tea while she watched the sunrise. She and the archer had stayed in touch after he helped her during the battle with Ultron and he invited her to come and spend a few days with him and his family on the farm. 

So far, she had been there for two days and the family was so welcoming. Laura had welcomed her with open arms and showed her to the newly renovated guest room. It had a large window seat that looked out into the fields and clean white walls with a good-sized bed made up with a homemade quilt. On the bedside table, there was a lamb where Wanda placed a photo of her and her family from before, she still had no idea how Tony found it. There was also a photo of her and Peter, he had his arms around her waist and his lips were on her cheek. 

“Morning Sweetie.” Wanda turned to see Laura coming to sit next to her with her own mug. Despite the early hour, she was already dressed for the day. “You sleep okay?”

“Yeah, the bed is really comfy,” Wanda replied taking a sip of her tea. 

“It’s beautiful isn’t it.” She gestured towards the rising sun. “I grew up on farms, but I never get tired of this view.” 

“It is, but nothing beats the city.” 

“Clint said you were becoming a regular city girl.” Laura teased. “Give it some time and we’ll have you converted.”

“Good luck with that, so what’s the plan for today?”

“Clints’ going to ask if you want to go on a hick today. I was going to make some pancakes for an energy boost if you wanted.” 

“Sounds good.” She replied, excited at the thought of seeing more the wooded area. 

They sat there for some time talking, while they waited for the rest of the family to wake up. Once everyone was awake, Laura started making breakfast and the kids flocked around Wanda. Ever since she got there, the Barton children had been very welcoming and always wanted to play with her. At first, she was a little worried, having not spent much time with children, let alone being one herself. 

“Wanda do you want to play dolls today?” Lila asked excitedly. 

“Wanda and your Dad are going hiking today, but she can play tonight.” Laura butted in, pouring some juice. Lila pouted but her face brightened up when the pancakes where pushed in front of her. 

Clint was nursing a cup of coffee, watching his family and Wanda. He was so lucky to have Laura in his life. He had dated other women before he met her of course but he couldn’t see any of them being able to handle this life with him, but she took it all in her stride and she never failed to amaze him with her strength. The kids just made everything better and once Pietro was born, it felt like the family was complete. When he told Wanda that he was named after her brother, she almost burst into tears and just hugged the baby close when he was handed to her. 

Once they were all done, Clint packed their backpacks for the hick (and Laura double-checked them), and the two said goodbye to others and headed out. Clint drove them to the trail. They parked the car and headed into the forest. As they walked Clint would point out places where the family had had picnics and particular trees that the kids liked to climb. Wanda would take pictures that she intended to send to Peter and Tony as they walked. The air was even fresher here then it was on the farm and she almost dreaded going back to the city. There was a moment where they were walking and Clint stopped mid-sentence, pointing to the side of the trail where there were a doe and her baby. She could have sworn that the mother was looking straight at her before she calmly walked away, her baby following close behind her. 

They carried on until they found a fallen tree and decided to take a rest. They ate some of the protein bars they had packed and enjoyed the view of thousands of trees stretching for miles. She would have to see if she could get Peter or Tony to come out here, being the city boys that they were it could be good for them. 

“How did you balance S.H.E.I.L.D and your family?” Wanda asked. 

“Depends on what you mean by balance.” Clint began. “Sometimes I would be home for at least a month, but there were times I would have to be away for twice that long, and sometimes I would leave in the middle of the night.” 

“How did you manage for so long?” 

“Well, being married to Laura helped, her father worked for S.H.E.I.L.D so she understands. Are you worried about your relationship with Peter?”

“No that’s not it, it’s just… I’m confused, I guess. I’m not sure what I want in the long run.” 

“You know you don’t have to be an Avenger of work for S.H.E.I.L.D, Tony would probably let you work at S.I or give you a glowing recommendation for any other job.”

“It’s something Peter said, with great power comes great responsibility. His uncle told him that.”

“You’re not the only one with powers, which means you’re not the only one with a responsibility.” He argued. “When you think about everyone has a responsibility to try and do good.”

This made her think; in the beginning, the reason for getting her powers in the first place was for revenge, but of course, the person she wanted to get revenge on was now one of her closest friends and if anyone tried to hurt him, they would have to get past her. In the time she had been part of the Avengers, she had encountered people with all kinds of talents, some used them for good and others didn’t. She wanted to make amends for the harm she had caused, wipe some red off the ledger as Natasha would say, would she really have to be an Avenger her whole life to do that? Could she do that just by working at S.I with Tony and Pepper? 

“I just don’t’ know what to do.” She confessed.

“And you don’t have to know, not right now.” He assured her. “You don’t have to have any of this stuff figured out yet.” 

Wanda hugged the archer and in return, he held her close like he did when one of his kids where upset. He knew Tony already considered the young girl to be his family, his kid  
Meanwhile back in New York at the tower, Tony was working in the lab when F.R.I.D.A.Y told him that he got a message from Wanda. The caption read; ‘Maybe you guys could come with me next time xx.’ Attached were a number of photos of the forest and Wanda with the Barton. His favorite was the one with her and the two older kids sticking their tongues out at the camera. He smiled at the photo, happy to see that she was having a good time, but he was glad she would be home by the end of the week. The tower wasn’t the same without her there, it was strange waking up in the night without seeing her for their near-nightly talks. 

Peter also seemed to be feeling her absence. He would still come to the tower as usual, but you could clearly see the sad puppy dog look on his face. Tony didn’t have the heart to say anything because he was basically the same when Pepper was out of town. It was adorable really, young love. He would have to plan something for when she came home.  
When the day came that Wanda was due home, Tony and Peter were basically bouncing off the walls. Natasha was also excited, but she was better at hiding it. The three of them were having breakfast when a glowing portal opened up and Wanda and Stephen Strange stepped through. Wanda jumped into Peter’s arms before going to hug Natasha and Tony. 

“Thanks for bringing her back.” Tony said, patting Strange on the shoulder. 

“Yes, because this is what I studied for.” Strange spoke in his usual sarcastic tone. “To be a private taxi service.”

“Does this not fall under protecting reality?” Tony asked. 

“Don’t make me send you to a mountain.” Strange threatened before turning to Wanda. “We can continue your training tomorrow if you’re ready.”

“I am.” She assured him. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that Strange opened a portal and returned to the Sanctum, leaving the remaining four to catch up.  
Wanda showed them pictures of her time at the farm and the hike she and Clint went on. Peter and Tony went slightly pale when she mentioned the possibility of them all going camping, while Natasha seemed to find the idea to be quite appealing. They talked a little longer until Tony got a call saying he had to come in for some meeting and Natasha went to train. Wanda and Peter went to her room and he sat on the bed while she unpacked. She liked her cute little guest room at the farmhouse, but it was always good to be home.


	12. Dance the night away

Tony loved Pepper, he absolutely adored her, and he knew there was no way he could survive without her. She knew how to handle him, she was there when he needed her and left him alone when he needed it. Honestly, he couldn’t find a single fault in her and it was impossible for her to upset him… except today, today was the exception. 

“Do I have to go?” Tony whined. Pepper didn’t take her eyes off the computer screen when she spoke.

“Yes, you do. The gala is to raise money for children affected by war, and it will be good for the charity if an Avenger is there.”

“Then send Cap, he’s better with people.” Tony reasoned. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about the cause, of course, he. It was just that he hated most of the people who attended these things. Some of them really wanted to help whereas others just wanted to be seen there. 

“Steve isn’t the face of the company, you are.” 

“And you’re positive you can’t come with me?” These things were usually more tolerable when she was with him, but the dates clashed with a conference that was taking place out of state and she had agreed to attend long before the gala was planned. 

“I’m sorry.” She looked up from the screen and gave him a sad smile, genuinely sorry she couldn’t be there with him. “Why don’t you take Wanda with you?”

“Why would I subject her to that?” 

“Oh come on, it could be fun.” She reasoned. “Just ask her and see what she says.” 

On his drive back to the tower, Tony thought about what Pepper said about it being fun to take Wanda. He had to admit the idea of spending the night with sounded like fun. She loved dressing up so that wouldn’t be a problem and she was more comfortable being around people now. If she was up for it, it might turn the night around for him.  
When he arrived at the tower and headed to the top floors, he wasn’t surprised to see that Peter and Wanda in the living room. The T.V was on but only as background noise, while Peter seemed to be doing his homework while Wanda was reading her book. The cute part was that Wanda’s head was in Peter’s lap while he made notes. 

“I have a proposition for you,” Tony said in way of greeting and the couple turned to face him. 

“Hello to you too, what is it?”

“I’m being forced to go to this charity gala next week and Pepper can’t come, so how you like to join me?”

“Really? You want me to be there with you?” Wanda asked. 

“Yeah, in fact, why don’t both of you come.” Tony grinned at this, what he believed to be at least, brilliant idea. “Help preserve my sanity.”

“I don’t know Mr. Stark, what do I say to a bunch of rice people?”

“Well, you talk to me all the time so. Look you don’t have to talk to anyone, you just have to be there, so I don’t have to talk to any of them for too long,” he clarified, “Don‘t make me talk to these people.”

Wanda looked up at Peter, who seemed a little unsure about the whole thing. Tony was one thing, they spent time in the lab and geeked out over science stuff, but what would he say to these people? Maybe this was why Tony drank a lot. Then again, if Wanda would be there, then it wouldn’t be too bad. Peter smiled back at Wanda who seemed to be having the same idea.

“So, when is it?” Peter asked.

“Oh thank god,” Tony cheered, relieved he wouldn’t have to suffer alone. “Okay, we get you a suit, Nat can help Wanda with a dress, and we’ll all be the belles of the ball.”

The date of the gala came too soon for Tony. As he said, Wanda and Peter were dressed for the evening; Peter wore a much too expensive suit, while Wanda wore a dark red dress with one long sleeve. Peter was in awe when he saw her, she always looked beautiful to him, but this was something else. She looked like an angle with her hair flowing free with a slight curl. There were so many voices in the ballroom, not just the voices everything could hear but the ones that only Wanda could hear. Bicthy women who were gossiping about the other guests, waiters who were thinking about how they don’t get paid enough for this (she’d have to remind Tony to leave a good tip). A whole lifetime ago, this would have been too much for her and she would have had to leave, but now she was able to ignore most of them and enjoy herself.

The event began with a speech from one of the board members of the charity, thanking everyone for their donations and assuring them that their contributions would make a difference. After the polite applause died down, people began to mingle. Being Tony Stark came with a lot of perks but there were also drawbacks; one of which was that everyone wanted to talk to you. Some of them were actual friends who wanted a catch-up, whereas others just wanted to flirt or pick his brains for their research that was probably doomed from the beginning. One particular woman, who did not seem to understand that Tony was happily taken, had to cut her conversation with Tony short when her drink was mysteriously spilled all over her expensive dress.

Soon the band began to play, and Tony pulled Wanda onto the dance floor. He twirled her around and Peter could hear her laughter from across the room. He sipped his soda while he watched them on the dance floor. Since getting to know Tony, he began to see how difficult being Tony Stark and Iron Man was. The rest of the world only saw the suave and rich genius who doubled as a superhero, but they didn’t see was the real picture. They didn’t see the countless cups of coffee he drank when insomnia took over. They didn’t see the scrapes and bruises he came back from the mission with. Iron Man was invincible, yes, but there was still a man behind that masks, a man who was made of flesh and bone, who could really do with a good night’s sleep. 

When the song was over, Tony kissed her hand and went to get himself another drink. She was alone for not even a second when a young man came and offered her his hand. Peter was immediately by her side and politely told the suitor that she would not be able to dance with him before he swept her back onto the floor.

“Somebody’s jealous,” she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Thought I would save him the humiliation when you turned him down.” Peter twirled her around the dance floor when a new song started to play. 

You're the light, you're the night  
You're the color of my blood  
You're the cure, you're the pain  
You're the only thing I wanna touch  
Never knew that it could mean so much, so much

Neither of them ever thought they would feel this way about anyone. It made Peter realize his feelings for Liz was nothing more but a childish crush, with Wanda it was different. He didn't have to worry about her finding out his secret because she knew from the start. She made him want to be better. 

You're the fear, I don't care  
'Cause I've never been so high  
Follow me through the dark  
Let me take you past outside the lights  
You can see the world you brought to life, to life

Wanda couldn’t remember the last time she felt this light, she used to dance with her parents in their tiny little apartment to the music playing on the radio and there wasn’t much time for dancing with HYDRA. Her world was so dark before the Avengers, before Tony, before Peter. He introduced her to this whole new world, a shining light, chasing her fears away.  
So love me like you do  
Lo-Lo-Love me like you do  
Love me like you do  
Lo-Lo-Love me like you do

Touch me like you do  
To-To-Touch me like you do  
What are you waiting for?

Fading in, fading out  
On the edge of paradise  
Every inch of your skin  
Is a holy grail I've gotta find  
Only you can set my heart on fire, on fire

From the bar, Tony watched the couple, his drink momentarily forgotten. He remembered dancing with Pepper that first night as if he had seen her for the first time. Now he watched this beautiful couple looking into each other’s eyes with such devotion. They were so young and had so much on their shoulders, they handled it so much better than he did, perhaps it was because kids were able to adapt better than adults. Maybe they wouldn’t last or maybe the tower would one day be full of little witches with red hair who could cling to walls,, he knew which scenario he preferred. Who knows what will happen in the future, but they could forget all about that for the time being. For now, they could dance the night away. 

Love me like you do  
Lo-Lo-Love me like you do (Like you do)  
Love me like you do  
Lo-Lo-Love me like you do

Touch me like you do  
To-To-Touch me like you do, Oh-Oh  
What are you waiting for? Oh-Oh, Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Matthew Shaffer whose very long list of recommended songs included Ellie Goulding's 'Love me like you do'. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, more to come soon. Stay safe.


	13. Open mic night

It was a well-known fact that Tony Stark loved coffee. He really loved coffee, in fact, he loved it so much that Pepper would joke that, after building his suits, it was his great love. It went suits, coffee, and Pepper. That’s why when Wanda was able to get a job in a small coffee shop just down the street from the tower, Tony had found a new favorite place outside of the lab. 

It was a quiet little shop run by a nice old lady and her daughter. When they put the ad out for a new employee, Wanda thought ‘what the hell’, she had got pretty good at making Tony’s coffee the way he liked it so why not give it a try. It wasn’t like she needed the money; Tony was happy to give her any she needed, it was just something she wanted to do for herself, after all, that was what normal people did right? They got jobs. So she applied, had an interview which only lasted five minutes when the owner made the decision to hire her.  
When she told them, the others were so proud of her and soon the café began a regular hang-out spot for them. Seeing various members of the Avengers on a regular basis definitely helped with the business. Margaret, the old lady, also saw Wanda’s powers as a bonus; it made clean up easier, and once or twice she had been able to predict a customer’s order, not to mention know when they had a bad day and were in need of some cake. Yes, hiring that girl had to be one of the best decisions she had ever made. 

One afternoon while she was working, Tony came in with a tablet and some paperwork. Despite handing the company over to Pepper, he still had some legal papers to look over, the company having his name and all. He took a seat at a table by the window that had become his regular spot and Wanda brought over his usual order. She went to serve another customer when Margaret came to sit with Tony. She was a kind old woman with cheerful eyes that made her seem so much younger than she was. She opened the place with her daughter, Amy, after her husband had died, give herself something to do after she retired from nursing. 

“How’s she doing?” Tony asked, taking a sip of his coffee. 

“You ask that everything and each time I tell you the same thing; she’s great,” she told him, smiling brightly. “The regulars love her, and she’s caught on really fast, I mean it is just coffee.”

“It’s an art,” Tony argued “She told me some guys have tried to give her their number.”

“Oh yes,” Margaret laughed. “Young boys these days, think if a pretty girl smiles at them she must be interested, never mind it's part of her job. She lets them down easy. Amy finds it hilarious. Where are Peter these days? Haven’t seen him in a while.”

“He has a few exams coming up, so he’s been busy, any way that kid doesn’t need the caffeine, he’s hyper enough already.” Then as if by magic, the bell above the door rang, and Peter practically ran in and headed straight for the counter where Wanda already had a cup of hot chocolate waiting for him. After she added a mountain of whipped cream on top Peter leaned over and kissed her. 

“My husband and I were like that when we were younger,” Margaret reminisced, unconsciously stroking her old wedding band, a symbol of over forty years of love and happiness. “So adorable.”

“You wouldn’t think that if you had to see it on a daily basis,” he mock gagged, thinking about all the time he had walked in on them making goo-goo eyes at each other or kissing. It was innocent enough, as Pepper liked to remind him, but it was not something he wanted to see. After enough times he had F.R.I.D.A.Y warn him before going into the same room as them. 

“Has Wanda told you about the open mic night?”

“What?”

“More coffee?” Wanda appeared as if by magic, pouring more coffee into Tony’s cup.

“What open mic night?” he inquired.

“It’s nothing” Wanda tried to argue before Margaret cut her off.

“It’s a new thing we’re trying, Wanda mentioned she played guitar and I’ve been trying to get her to sign up.”

“Why don’t you? We’ll bring some of the others and come watch you.” 

“I’m not that good,” Wanda blushed while she looked around for something, anything, that could take her away from this.

“I think you’re great,” Peter called from across the shop, finishing the last of his drink. “And don’t say I have to say that because I don’t.” 

“I’ve heard you play, Wanda,” Tony said. “I think you sound good too. We don’t have to tell the others if you don’t want us to, it could just be me and Peter.”

“No,” Wanda shook her head, “If you guys are coming then the others should too if they want to that is.”

“So you’ll do it?” Margaret asked hopefully. 

“I guess I will.”

“Perfect,” Margret clapped happily, “This Friday at six, I’ll keep a table free.”

Friday came too soon for Wanda. It was almost time for her to go on and she was a little worried. Okay, a lot worried. She had never played in front of that many people before, when she asked Pepper for some advice, she told her to focus on a particular person. When she gave press conferences, she always picked one person to focus her attention on. Well, that would be easy for Wanda, she would just focus on Peter. Peter, Tony, Pepper, Natasha and May were all in the crowd. Margret had reserved them a table near the front and their drinks were on the house. 

They had been pestering her all week about what she was going to perform, but she wouldn’t budge. She even used a simple spell Stephen taught her to soundproof her room when she practiced because she wanted it to be a surprise. She had found the song a few weeks ago and felt that she could relate to the lyrics, wanting to find a place to belong and believing she finally found it. She just hoped her nerves didn’t get the best of her. Wanda was the fourth act and when Margret introduced her, her friends were clapping way too loudly for her taste, but she loved them anyway.

“Hey, I’m Wanda,” she said shyly into the microphone, which only led to more embarrassing applause and a loud ‘whoop’ from Peter. “So, this is called ‘Midnight’ and I hope you like it.” She took a deep breath and started to play. 

I know I’m different  
Then what you expected  
But I’ve been playing a role  
It’s time that you know the truth  
You may not want me anymore  
I’m not what you’ve been looking for  
But under these pieces and parts  
Is a beautiful heart  
And it loves you

So meet me at midnight  
Find me by moonlight  
I’ve been waiting for so long  
To feel like I’m whole  
More than what you see  
Please don’t define me  
This is bigger than you and I  
So give me a chance  
And meet me at midnight

Always told what to believe  
Now nothing is quite what it seemed  
It’s a battle of head versus heart  
Can’t tell them apart like before  
But the truth is concealed in the lies  
And I’ve decided I’m done trying to hide  
I won’t sit back and watch the world burn  
When I know it’s my turn  
To fight this war

Ever since she joined the Avengers, Wanda had started to feel like she more control in her life. She wasn’t made to fight the battles other people chose for her, she could stand up for what she felt was right and use her powers in a way that would make her parents and her brother proud. 

So meet me at midnight  
Find me by moonlight  
I’ve been waiting for so long  
To feel like I’m whole  
More than what you see  
Please don’t define me  
This is bigger than you and I  
So give me a chance  
And meet me at midnight

Fog starts to lift, is my mind playing tricks?  
Cause you look like home  
Then I know this real, I trust what I feel  
That neither of us has to be alone  
You don’t have to be alone

Peter, Tony, everyone at that table smiling at her made her think of home. Home was late-night talks with Tony, dates, and cuddles with Peter, training with Natasha. They all made her feel so safe and loved, as if anything in the world wanted to get to her it would have to go through them. After so long she finally understood what home meant. She was never alone now, part of a team, a family. 

So meet me at midnight  
Find me by moonlight  
I’ve been waiting for so long  
To feel like I’m whole  
More than what you see  
Please don’t define me  
This is bigger than you and I  
So give me a chance  
And meet me at midnight

As the final cord played out, the whole café was filled with applause and cheers. Loads of people were giving her a standing ovation, including her friends. Tony and Peter were, without a doubt, the loudest and she could clearly hear Peter shout, ‘that’s my girlfriend’ and she could have sworn she fell in love all over again. When she went to join them, everyone congratulated her and acted as if she had just performed for the Oscars. Tony ordered her a hot chocolate and they watched the rest of the acts, none of which were as good as her they would say on the way home. They dropped May and Peter off in front of their building. 

“You were wonderful Sweetie,” May said, giving her one last hug. Wanda thanked her and said goodnight as May went inside, leaving her and Peter. 

“You were awesome, I mean seriously.” 

“Thanks,” she blushed, pushing back a lock of her hair.

“I heard some guys next to us say how hot you were,” he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, “of course I wanted to tell them you were taken but I thought I would save them the embarrassment.”

“Would have been fun to turn them down. You’d be able to kick their asses anyway.”

“I think you’d be able to handle that on your own.” He kissed her softly and looked in her eyes. “By the way, I'll always want you." She smiled at the reference to her song. 

“I'll always want you too," she leaned in for another kiss which lasted a few seconds before Tony shouted out the window and told them to break it up. They made plans to meet up the next day and Peter reluctantly let her go back to the car. She waved goodbye as the car turned the corner. 

“You two are disgusting,” Tony gagged. 

“What’s wrong with showing a little affection?” Pepper asked, raising her eyebrow. 

“Nothing, but certain things should be private,” he argued. 

“Do I need to bring up some old tabloid covers of you?” Natasha teased, already getting her phone out. “Because I can think of a few times you were less than subtle.”

“I’ve grown, anyway I’m constantly telling them don’t do anything I would do.”

“Yes, the little grey area.” Wanda teased. The rest of the drive home consisted of complementing Wanda and teasing Tony. Wanda had to admit, performing was more fun than she thought it would be, she would have to talk to Margaret about doing it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween, not a very scary chapter but I think we've had enough scares. They've just announced a month-long lockdown for the UK so some plans will have to be postponed now but on the bright side, that's plenty of time to write. The song is 'Midnight' by Beth Crowley, who I absolutely recommend you guys listen to, her song 'Always' almost had me in tears. I hope you all like this chapter and stay safe. If anyone has any request for further chapters just let me know. I don't really want to write anything to do with Covid because this is my way of escaping but I'll try anything else. Once again; stay safe.


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